This dinosaur alphabet matching game will help your preschoolers learn uppercase and lowercase letters.
Children will love to find the correct home for the little dinosaurs!
Learning to match uppercase and lowercase letters is a challenge for children. Some of the “big” and “little” letters look similar, but many do not. Children are essentially learning 52 letters when they learn the alphabet.
Presenting the challenge of learning the letters and their shapes as a game will make learning fun and more accessible to children. This dinosaur matching game is appropriate for any preschooler or kindergartener still working on recognizing letters of the alphabet.
Dinosaur ABC Matching Game Supplies
- small plastic dinosaurs
- permanent black marker
- small paper cups {such as Dixie© Bath Cups}
- large green felt mat or blanket
Print the lowercase letters on the dinosaurs. Print an uppercase letter on the bottom of each cup.
Cut out a large piece of green felt into a dinosaur mat. Introducing the activity on a mat helps a child contain the activity to one area, or space, and helps him independently focus carefully on the task at hand.
If you don’t have felt, use a plain colored blanket or mat.
Dinosaur Alphabet Matching Activity
“Take the little dinosaurs to their big homes!”
Set the homes (cups) on the mat. Ask children to put each dinosaur in his home. Preschoolers will enjoy matching the lowercase letter on the dinosaur to the uppercase letter on the cup. Talk about the letter as the child places the dinosaur in its home. Or ask the child to name the letter.
Alternative Ideas for Play
- Print uppercase letters on both the dinosaurs and cups for children still learning their uppercase letters.
- Use egg cartons for the dinosaur homes instead of cups.
- Line up all the dinosaurs in alphabetical order.
- Line the cups up in alphabetical order.
- Choose a dinosaur. Ask the child create the letter with small blocks or write the letter on paper.
What fun ways to help your preschoolers learn uppercase and lowercase letters!
BIO: Amy Smith, M.Ed., writes about preschool and homeschooling at Wildflower Ramblings. As a former kindergarten teacher, she is passionate about interest-based learning and literacy. You can download her free eBook Early Literacy Stages or free ABC Lego Cards. You can connect with Amy through her weekly newsletter, on Facebook, and on Pinterest.
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