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This post has been co-written with Ben Wolfson, a full-time educator and assistant principal in the USA.
Anything that uses a transportation theme for kindergarten will get them engaged, and these alphabet and number playdough mats are a fantastic grab and go activity that will have them both uppercase and lowercase alphabet tracing as well as number tracing all year long. Anyone who knows five year old kids knows the common themes that engage them in their learning: dinosaurs and animals are ubiquitous year after year, but vehicles are also almost always at the top of the list..
Letter and Number Writing Practice
The importance of correct letter and number formation can’t be overstated. It underpins every branch of student learning from solving math equations to writing high quality essays.
It all starts in the kindergarten room, which is why using these alphabet and number playdough mats is a great way to build muscle memory of the shape of each number and all 52 letters, both upper and lowercase. Using a variety of media before you even think about having them pick up a writing tool will make your students more confident as they begin to make meaningful marks which makes these printable number cards and letter cards a must throughout the school year.
Preparing Road Alphabet and Number Playdough Mats
For this activity you will need:
Paper
Printer
Playdough
Optional: laminator, mini erasers, shaving cream or other messy media
If you don’t have the materials needed, don’t sweat! You can get it delivered to your doorstep really quickly with Amazon Prime. You can get a 30-day free trial here.
The best thing about these printable number cards and letter cards is that you can simply download the entire pack and print off just the letters or numbers that you need for that day. It makes sense to keep them full size so that students get a true feel for the shape, and you should definitely consider laminating them if you’re planning on using shaving cream or other messy media.
Encouraging Uppercase and Lowercase Alphabet Tracing
These cute printable number cards and letter cards with a transportation theme for kindergarten should be available year round for students to learn new numbers and letters and to practice familiar ones. They are designed to be used with playdough so that students form the letter or number shape on top of the outline, but to encourage tracing and muscle memory of the shapes, have your students experiment with the following media:
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Shaving foam – there’s something delightfully decadent about squirting a big blob of shaving foam on a student’s desk and telling them to have fun with it. They’ll use their hands, fingers and even elbows to trace the letter and number shapes, all with a wipe clean and good smelling substance!
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Fingerpaint – for something a little more permanent, prepare a small variety of fingerpaint colors for each student to use. They can then practice upper and lowercase alphabet tracing with their fingers and create a piece of artwork for the wall or to send home. This activity could be done as a final piece as they learn about each letter and its sounds, creating a colorful portfolio for the end of the school year.
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Small objects – if you’re looking for something a little less messy and one that is instantly repeatable, give your students a bucket of small objects like mini erasers (preferably non-spherical so they don’t roll off the table!) and have them fill in the outline of the letter or number using the objects. This will help turn your center into a fine motor activity as students will need to manipulate their small objects to carefully complete their task.
