Last Updated on May 10, 2024 by Bilingual Kidspot
Wondering how to teach the alphabet to kids? Children can learn the English Alphabet with these fun and interactive alphabet games for kids. Whether you are a teacher with an ESL class of English students, or a parent wanting to teach your child English, these alphabet games and abc games for kids are great fun.
Make sure you also check out our Reading Games for Kids post too!
Below you will find:
- English alphabet printable for kids
- English alphabet song for kids
- English alphabet games for kids
Make sure you follow this English learning series at Learn English for Kids.
English Alphabet for Kids
The English alphabet is made up of 26 letters. Five of the letters are vowel sounds and the remaining 21 are consonants.
The English alphabet has been around for centuries and was shaped and changed over the years to create the alphabet that we use to teach today.
Learning the English alphabet is the one of the first tasks that is done when beginning English as a second language. Understanding the English alphabet is the first step to English fluency.
Playing games with the alphabet is a fun way to learn. Here are some fun alphabet games and activities for kids that will help children learn the alphabet in a fun and interactive way.
These alphabet games can be played at home or in the classroom!
Make sure to check out the Alphabet song in our Nursery Rhymes for Kids post!
*This post may contain affiliate links, read more here.
English Alphabet Sounds
| Aa- /ei/ | a-ee | a,ah |
| Bb – /bi/ | bee | buh |
| Cc – /si/ | cee | kuh |
| Dd – /di/ | dee | duh |
| Ee – /i/ | ee | eh, ee |
| Ff – /ef/ | ef | fuh |
| Gg – /dʒi/ | jee | guh, juh |
| Hh – /eɪtʃ/ | a-ch | huh |
| Ii – /ai/ | ah-ee | ah-ee, ĭ |
| Jj – /dʒeɪ/ | jay | juh |
| Kk – /kei/ | kay | kuh |
| Ll – /el/ | el | luh, ul |
| Mm – /em/ | em | muh |
| Nn – /en/ | en | nuh |
| Oo – /oʊ/ | ō (oh) | ah, ō, uh, oo, ů |
| Pp – /pi/ | pee | puh |
| Qq – /kju/ | kyoo (kyū) | kwuh |
| Rr – /ɑːr/ | ah- r | ruh, ur |
| Ss – /es/ | es | suh, zuh |
| Tt – /ti/ | tee | tuh, duh |
| Uu – /ju/ | yoo (yū) | uh, yoo, oo, ů |
| Vv – /vi/ | vee | vuh |
| Ww – /dʌbəl.ju/ | dubōyoo | wuh |
| Xx – /eks/ | eks | ks, zuh |
| Yy – /wai/ | wah-ee | yuh, ee, ah-ee (i), ĭ |
| Zz – /zed/zi/ | zee | zuh |
Learn the English Alphabet Song
12 Alphabet Games for Kids
Find below, our top alphabet games for kids for use at home or in the classroom. With these abc games and activities, children can learn the English alphabet in a fun and interactive way!
1. Mystery Bag
This is one of the easiest alphabet games for kids and doesn’t require much preparation. Using a bag, put objects inside such as (button, pen, apple ect). Children will reach into the bag and pull out the object, they will have to guess what letter the object starts with and say the sound of the letter.
2. Guess The Letter
In this alphabet game, the teacher or parent says a word and the students have to guess what letter the word starts with. To make it more difficult, you can change the world to only using sounds. Or you can continue to say words and the students respond with the sound only.
To make this alphabet game more fun the teacher or parent can say 3 words starting with the same letter, the student will listen and have to call out a third word that matches the same letter. For example, the teacher would call out (button, ball and bag) and the student would respond with another word that starts with b.
3. Sound Cups
This alphabet game for kids requires the use of 26 cups and objects. The teacher will write the letters on them and face them down. The teacher will have 26 objects mixed up under the cups.
The students will have to look at the objects under each cup and place them under the correct cup with the correct letter sound. Students should be saying the letter and letter sound as they place the object under the correct cup.
4. Alpha Board
Another fun game with the alphabet is Alpha Board. Using a white board, the parent or teacher can draw a range of letters on the board. They will then will call out a sound and the children will have to come up and erase all of the letters that begin with that sound.
To make it more challenging teachers can call out two sounds at a time or can change it up and call out words instead. You can also play this game in reverse and have the kids write the letters on the board as the teacher calls out a word or sound.
To make this game more fun the teacher can say a letter and the students have to draw an object on the white board that begins with that letter, the more objects they can draw the more points they can earn!
5. Hidden Letter
This is a really fun alphabet game for kids. The parent or teacher will hide letters all over the room. and then call out a letter or sound. The students will have to search for the letter. You can print them out yourself or use these cost effective flashcards.
Another way to play this game is by having objects spread out on the floor, say the name of an object and the students have to find the hidden letter and match it to the correct object.
6. Pipe Cleaner Letters
A great way to help students learn to write their letters is by learning to form them. Use pipe cleaners and call out a letter for the students to make, this will be a great alphabet activity for differentiating between big and small letters. The teacher can also call out sounds or objects and the students will create the letter with their pipe cleaner base off what the teacher has said.
7. Alpha I Spy
This is a really easy abc game for kids. Using describing words, try to get the student to guess what letter the object you are describing starts with. Another great way to do this activity is by printing out coloring pages with objects with all different letters. You can say “I spy something that makes the p sound” Students will then have to find the pizza and color it in.
8. Matching Sounds
This alphabet activity for kids can be prepared yourself, or you can buy materials online such as this one. Give students a set of pictures that you have printed out. This can be as easy as pictures from clip art. Using alphabet letter cards have the students match each letter to the correct picture and say the sound of the letter as they match them.
9. Letter Painting/Drawing
Learning to write letters with paint is always an activity kids enjoy. Have the students draw or paint the letters that you call out, either in capital or lowercase letters as well as letter sounds. Teachers can also call out objects around the room and students have to paint the letter that begins with the object that has been called.
10. Alphabet Hop Scotch
This alphabet game for kids can be used with chalk or alphabet letter cards or even alphabet magnets. Place them near one another on the floor. Students will hop to letters and call out the sound and an object that begins with that letter. To make this more fun you can time each student and whoever can get through all 26 letters the fastest wins.
11. Alphabet Ball
Use a beach ball and write letters all over it, have the students make a circle and throw it to one another. When a student catches the ball, they have to say whatever letter their finger lands on and give an example of the letter. To make the game more challenging students that catch the ball will say the letter and then throw it to a following student with the first name of that letter.
12. Big and Small Race
A great classroom alphabet game for kids, that can also be used with siblings at home. Place capital and lowercase letters all around the room. Have two students come up and when the teacher says start the students have to find all the capital and lowercase letters in the room and place them in order on the floor. Whichever student does it the fastest wins.
Alphabet Materials
Set yourself up with some alphabet materials such as:
Leap Frog Alphabet Backpack
Animal Alphabet Book
Flashcards Pack
Letter Magnets
Using Alphabet Games for Kids to Learn ABC’s
Using these alphabet games for kids in the classroom or at home is a great way to reinforce the alphabet and to help students gain a better understanding of letter sounds. These alphabet games will teach kids how to write the alphabet as well as how to match capital and lowercase letters and come up with words that begin with letters from the alphabet. These are great skills to have for learning to read!
Do you know any other games with the alphabet that we should know about. Do you have any favourite alphabet games for kids to help learn their ABC’s? Let us know.
Make sure to check out our Learn English for Kids series for more English learning resources for children.
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