Monday, February 13, 2017

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Lightning Leap Weather Alphabet Activity (with free printable)

My kids love to sit on our porch during a thunderstorm and watch for lightning! Eventually, though, they get tired of it and we have to go inside. Since everyone here loves lightning so much, I'm putting together some lightning and other weather themed activities this week to go with the Virtual Book Club for Kids' Weather Theme...starting with this "Lightning Leap" alphabet activity!



Lightning Fun Fact: Did you know that lightning can travel from a cloud to the ground, from the ground to a cloud, and from a cloud to another cloud? 

In this letter learning (and/or review!) activity, we pretend to be lightning that leaps from one cloud to another, based on the letter or sound a leader calls out.

To set it up, just print the {FREE} cloud letters in the link below. Cut each page in half. If you are in a classroom or have a lot of kiddos, you may want to laminate each cloud or glue them on paper plates. If you have a lot of kids, you may want to print more than one set so that all your kiddos are not crowded on one little letter. Scatter the letter clouds around the room and let your preschoolers stand on a letter cloud.



To play, just call out a letter and let your little "lightning bolts" leap to it! Here are a few more variations:

* Call out a sound and let your preschoolers leap to it!

* Call out a word and let your preschoolers leap to the first letter in it!

* Call out a word and let your kiddos leap to any letter in it! This works great for spelling words for older kids too! **This was our favorite version! After a second or two I started spelling it slowly for the younger kiddos.**

* Call out a letter and a motion the kids must use to get to the letter! For example, "Crawl like an ant to an 'm.'" Or, "Walk backwards to an 'o.'"

* Let your kidstake turns callingout words or letters!

* Tape the letters on the wall and let the kids run around the room and touch the right letter with their hands!

* Hit the correct letters with hands, fly-swatters, a cup, or a stick!



After you play, you can use the letter clouds in tracing activities or letter art--try filling in the letters with something different (like buttons or fingerprint "raindrops") or putting them at the bottom of a rice or sand writing tray! You can always use them to practice spelling words or names too!



Combining gross motor movement with alphabet learning helps your preschoolers remember the letters better while using their muscles and energy in a positive way! And it's loads of fun to leap like a lightning bolt while you review letters!


Are you working on a cloud or weather theme? If so, you will want to check out our warm & cold front model, our hurricane model, and our super easy thunder science!

You'll also want to check out this week's Virtual Book Club for Kids book: Little Cloud by Eric Carle:
(Amazon Affiliate Link:)



As you know, we are one of the cohosts for the awesome Virtual Book Club for Kids, and this week everyone's sharing weather activities for preschoolers! 



Join us on Facebook for all the fun and be sure to check out these other weather themed activities from cohosts:

Lightning Leap Weather Alphabet Activity (with free printable)  ** YOU ARE HERE!! **

Happy Educating,
Carla




Have you seen HEEP? It is a preschool homeschool curriculum! Learn more here!

I may share at any of these parties!




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