These easy to make alphabet cards are a good way to keep them playing with letters and sounds that will help support their school learning of phonics. We have a variety of tips and activities you can use these cards for. But first, get crafting…

Alphabet flashcards:

To make your alphabetical flashcards all you need is some paper and colouring pencils (or a printer). Depending on how long you want the activity to last you can choose different ways to make your cards

Option 1: Write the alphabet yourself and cut out into rectangles (remember to do this twice so you have a double set)

Option 2: Draw the letters out and get your child to colour them in and make them bright and beautiful, then cut them out (remember do each letter twice so you have a double set)

Option 3: Download our printable (see below) and cut them out. Our flashcards are black and white to help save ink, but to brighten them up you can get your kids to colour them and even draw objects or animals for each letter.

The games:

Snap

Split the cards out evenly and the youngest player starts. Cards are left in a face down pile in front of each player. Take it in turns to flip over a card from your deck into one pile. Each time the same card appears one after each other the first person to call out snap gets the cards that have already been played. The first player to get all the cards wins or the player with the most cards after a certain amount of time.

Pairs

This game may be better for slightly older children as it includes using their memory.

Lay all the cards out on the floor, letter side down. Take it in turns to have a go at matching up a pair. Turn one card over, then turn another to try and find the matching letter (remember to try and memorise the cards positions so you can make pairs more easily on your turn). Play until all pairs have been matched, the person with the most pairs at the end wins.

Extra rule if you want to make it more competitive: When a player has matched a pair, they get another go.

Bingo

Use your flashcards to play bingo with multiple players. Create your own bingo cards with eight boxes – in each box write a letter from the alphabet. Place the flashcards face down into a pile and take it in turns to call out a card from the pile. The first person to check all the letters off their bingo card wins.