I was looking for a fun way to help my kids practice letters, and I realized how helpful it would be to have something simple yet engaging on hand. That’s where these free printable alphabet tracing cards come in!
They’ve become a regular part of our after school routine, and sometimes, we pull them out in the morning school for some extra letter practice.
They are perfect for home or the classroom and make great practice for pre-k and kindergarten kids.
The best part? You can use them over and over again, and they’re just as effective for learning letter sounds as they are for learning how to write.
Why You’ll Love Making This Activity
You’ll love using these alphabet tracing cards because they make learning letters fun and hands-on. Each card features both upper and lower case letters, with numbers and arrows showing the order in which to write the letter. There are also a black and white version you can download jus in case you don’t have easy access to a color printer.
Kids can use their fingers to trace the letters or go over them with a washable marker, making the learning process more tactile, which helps them remember better.
What’s great about these cards is that they’re perfect for quiet morning activities or after-school learning sessions. You can even laminate them to make them more durable, so they last longer and can be used repeatedly.
Plus, focusing equally on the letter sounds as much as the names helps your child build a solid foundation for reading.
Materials Needed
- Printable alphabet letter cards (upper and lower case)
- Write and Wipe Pockets or Laminator (optional for durability)
- Washable markers or dry-erase markers
How to Set Up
- Print the Cards: Start by printing the alphabet tracing cards. You can choose to print just uppercase, lowercase, or both sets. If you don’t have a color printer I have also included black and white versions for download. Slide them into the write and wipe pockets or laminate them and gather your washable markers or dry erase markers.
- Introduce the Activity: Show your child how the arrows and numbers on the cards guide them in the proper order of writing the letters. You can start by having them trace the letters with their fingers first, which gives them a tactile feel for the letter shape.
- Add the Marker: Give your child a washable or dry-erase marker and have them trace over the letters again. The motion of writing, combined with tracing, makes it more interactive and helps them remember the letter better.
- Talk About Letter Sounds: As your child traces each letter, make sure to talk about the sound the letter makes, not just the name. For example, when working on the letter “S,” say “S makes the /s/ sound” to reinforce early phonics skills.
- Repeat: The more your child repeats this process, the better they’ll get at recognizing, writing, and understanding both the letter names and sounds.
Learning Outcomes
- Letter Recognition: These cards help kids visually identify both uppercase and lowercase letters, building their letter recognition skills.
- Writing Practice: By following the arrows and numbers, kids learn the proper order and stroke formation for writing each letter, which is key for future handwriting development.
- Letter Sounds: Equally focusing on letter sounds while working through the cards helps build early phonics skills, an essential step toward reading.
- Fine Motor Skills: Tracing letters, whether with fingers or a marker, strengthens fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
- Reusability: Laminating the cards makes them reusable, so they’re perfect for repeated practice without wearing out quickly.
Play2Learn Toddler & Preschool Programs for Curious Toddlers
There is no limit to your toddler’s energy and curiosity. That energy and curiosity although a joy can be challenging at times. Their interest in just about everything around them is what makes them great learners. One and two year olds can soak up so much just from their senses!
But as a teacher or parent that thirst for learning can be exhausting. That is why I created this toddler and preschooler program. To help you get the most out of this time with your curious toddler without having to come up with creative ways to play and interact with them.
Play2Learn for Toddlers includes 20 Units for toddlers. Each 2-week toddler unit has 20 super easy to set up and engaging activities for toddlers 18 months to 3 years.
Play2Learn Preschool which includes 20 Units for preschoolers. Each 2-week preschoolers unit has 20 unique and easy to set up and engaging activities for preschoolers 3 years to 5 years. That’s over 800 learning activities for your toddler and preschooler at your fingertips! So many ideas you and your child will never be bored again!
These toddler and preschool lesson plans and activities will definitely keep you and your toddler and preschooler busy playing and learning!
Click here for more information: Play2Learn
Book: Exciting Sensory Bins for Curious Kids
Did you know I wrote a book of sensory bins? Click here for more information Exciting Sensory Bin for Curious Kids. Or grab your copy at Amazon.
Boring afternoons are made exciting with awesome animal-based bins, like Salty Shark Bay or Yarn Farm. Pretend play bins like Birthday Cake Sensory Play or Bubble Tea Party encourage creativity and imagination. And your kids will have so much fun they won’t even know they’re getting smarter with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) activities like Sink or Float Soup, Magnetic Letter Hunt or Ice Cream Scoop and Count.
Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.
Book: Super STEAM Activity Book for Kids
Learning all about science, technology, engineering, art, and math sets kids up for scholastic success―and it can be so much fun! Watch kids enjoy building STEAM skills as they color friendly fish, help water find its way to tree roots, solve math problems with mazes, and more.
Find out more and grab your copy here.
Designed for preschoolers 3 years old and up.
Book: Big Book of Riddles for Kids
Riddle me this: What’s an exciting way to practice critical thinking while having a blast? The Big Riddle Book for Kids, of course! From hilarious puns to tough brain teasers, kids can build problem-solving skills with hundreds of riddles tha. t show them how to think outside the box.
- 350 riddles for kids—Have hours of fun with riddles, puns and jokes, and math and logic puzzles that’ll get their wheels turning!
- Level up their skills—Riddles get trickier as kids progress through the book, challenging them as they get better at solving puzzles!
- Double-check their work—Kids can check their answers in the back of the book with a handy answer key.
Help children expand their minds while having fun with this puzzle book for kids!
Designed for kids ages 6 years old and up.
TV Show: Curious Crafting
I’m so excited to share my crafting TV show Curious Crafting which launched in July 2022 on TVOkids and TVOkids YouTube! Season 2 aired in August 2023! My show was also nominated in 2023 for Best Live Action Preschool Series by the Youth Media Alliance Awards of Excellence.
Curious Crafting Season 1 is also now airing in Australia on ABC! Watch it here!
Set in the ultimate crafting space, Curious Crafting is a short form pre-school age series about the joy of making crafts. I lead a rotating cast of adorable little preschoolers (including my own) making magic out of common household objects.
In each episode we transform recycled items into magical crafts like a milk carton school bus, paper bag puppet or cotton pad turtle. The crafters learn and laugh their way through each activity while demonstrating what their young imaginations can create.
Curious Crafting shares the adventure and joy of making art with takeaway lessons for creating crafts at home.
This show designed for toddlers and preschoolers 2.5 years old and up.
