ABC Matching Game

My youngest hooligan is beyond excited to start PreK next Tuesday.  She attended preschool two mornings each week last year, and she, like all our kids, started going to hourly care at about 6 months of age.  So she likes being around other kids (who are not her siblings) and is making all of us crazy here at home.

She’s also, of course, a genius. Her favorite time of the day is “homework time” when she gets to do workbooks while her brothers are doing actual math and writing. I made her this little matching game to keep her busy. She loves it, of course.  It’s pink and purple.

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Before I share the instructions, let me say this is not suitable for kids under three, or those over three who still put everything in their mouths. You can modify it, though, using larger glass pebbles.

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You’ll need:

A 1/2” hole punch

56 glass pebbles (I found a bag with more than enough at Dollar Tree)

An upper and lower case alphabet

Some form of strong, clear glue (I used Crystal Effects from Stampin’ Up! but Glossy Accents would work, too)

For the alphabet, I found a font I liked and printed a sheet with upper and lower case on it, measuring less than 1/2” tall.  Be sure your printer ink isn’t going to run when the adhesive hits it. I made the upper case letters purple and the lower case ones pink.  You could also use a sheet of small alphabet stickers, stuck onto white cardstock.

DSC_0004_edited-1Punch out all the letters, and put a dot of glue on each. I did about 12 at a time, so the glue didn’t dry too much.

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Pop a glass pebble on top of each, smoosh it around to make it evenly covered, and let dry.  I placed mine on a sheet of wax paper on my crafting mat, just in case glue oozed out.

While I was waiting for them to dry, I embellished a tin to hold them, using a label I printed in Word and some scrapbooking paper and trim. I also cut a piece of felt to fit the bottom of the tin and glued it inside, so the pieces wouldn’t rattle so much.

She’s happily playing her game and, perhaps more importantly, letting her brothers play theirs.  Wow, too bad I didn’t think of this at the beginning of the summer.

About Megan

My various hats: mom to three crazy teens and one quirky dog, wife of 27 years to my retired GI Joe, and high school math teacher. After my husband's retirement from the Army, we've settled in the Pacific Northwest. Crafting, cooking, photography, and reading keep me sane (that's a relative term!) and I hope you'll enjoy following along as I navigate the chaos of life!
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1 Response to ABC Matching Game

  1. Kathy V. says:

    I can’t believe your little girl is going to be starting PreK. How the heck did that happen?

    This is such a brilliant idea, Megan. Reminds me of things my school teacher aunt did (a wonderful, fabulously creative woman you remind me of) for me when I was little. I bet it’s going to get tons of use. Once again I gotta say, you are the best mom ever!

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