Kids will have learning their ABCs with this fun, engaging, and FREE Back to School Alphabet Racing Game for preschool and kindergarten age kids.
Alphabet Race Game
It’s back to school. That means it’s time to get back into the groove. Having routines, homework, learning time and more. That doesn’t mean that it has to be all work and no play. Learning CAN be loads of fun! Plus, when kids are having more fun, they typically will absorb more of the information! So this Alphabet Race Game is the perfect way to encourage learning through play!
Alphabet Race
This is the perfect game for back to school season. It features a school bus, stack of books and of course an apple. Each letter of the alphabet is featured with uppercase, but it is super simple to incorporate lowercase as well for those children that are ready for that challenge. This game focuses on many literary and math skills:
- Counting
- Number Identification
- Letter Identification
- Letter Formation
- …and more!
Learning Through Play
Learning through play is not a concept to take lightly. Kids really do learn and absorb more when they are having fun. There is nothing wrong with presenting a game to kids that they solely think they are playing, when we know they are actually learning. It’s not pulling the rug on our kids, it’s not tricking them, it’s encouraging them in a way that YOU know will work best!
Supplies Needed:
- Back To School Alphabet Race Game Printables: Game Board and Recording Sheet
- 1 Dice or more
- 1 Manipulative For Each Player
- Pencil
- Laminator & Dry Erase Markers (optional)
This is super simple. There are two pages of the printable set. The first is the game board while the second is a recording sheet. Every player needs their own recording sheet but only one game board is needed for each group playing. This game can be played with as little as one child, but it can be great for small groups or even a whole classroom as well.
To start, each player needs a pawn. We used large beads, but literally anything can be used. Beads, pom poms, mini erasers or even pawns from a different game. We always play games, with multiple people, saying youngest to oldest as the play order. The first player rolls the die and moves their pawn that number of spaces. Whichever letter is landed on is the letter for the moment.
Either all children can write on the recording sheet or you can ask just the child that landed on that letter write it down. You can also ask the child to write the uppercase and lowercase or just one. That is how versatile this game can be and goes to show how it CAN work for YOU!
There is not necessarily a winner to this game, but it can be over once everyone reaches the books. Or you can keep going.
HINT: I like to laminate activities such as this. If you do, you can use dry erase markers on the recording sheet and even in place of pawns too.
Back to School Printables
Looking for some other fun and FREE printable activities for the first day of school? Celebrate the first day of school by making one of these adorable Free First Day of Preschool Hats. (Here are the kindergarten versions). Kids will have fun practicing number recognition while revealing the hidden pictures in these free Back to School Color by Number Worksheets. Another fun way to practice counting is these Free Back to School Counting Puzzles.
Download Back to School Game
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