A rolled-up sock and a few post-its are all you need to create this fun, carnival-style game that’s perfect for practicing letter recognition. In addition to practicing their letters, kids get hands-on experience classifying and sorting (not to mention a hand-eye coordination workout!)

Set Up Time: 10 min Activity Time: 20-30 min Mess Level: Low

What You’ll Need:

• Post-its 
• Marker
• Rolled-up sock or small beanbag

How to Play:

• Write uppercase and lowercase letters on individual Post-its, starting with up to five letters at a time. 
• Stick the Post-its to the floor or wall with space between each Post-it.
• Call out letters (e.g., “lowercase ‘a’” or “uppercase ‘B’”) to your child as they aim/toss the rolled-up sock at the letter.
• Have your child stand a few feet away and toss the rolled-up sock at each letter as you call it out.

Play Tips:

• Use alphabet cards – or make your own. Select or write letters that match what you’ve selected for the wall. Then, draw a card to find out which letter to aim for next.
• Get in some spelling practice! Pick letters in a word and post them in a random order. Then, challenge your child to toss the sock so that they hit the letters in order. Try starting with their name, or write the word on a piece of paper for them to use as a guide.