Creating a week-by-week curriculum that introduces a new letter each week to preschool-aged students is a great way to get them familiar with the alphabet. Whether you would rather do this through songs, books, or even Jell-O, this list will give you great ideas for entertaining activities that are accessible for all young learners!
1. Playdough O!
Kids love hands-on activities. They also love playdough! This fun letter O activity combines the two and teaches students how to make the letter O using playdough! If you're feeling extra ambitious, you could even make your own playdough.
Learn more: Keri Zimmerman
2. One Octopus in the Olive Tree by H.P. Gentileschi
This fun and captivating book will get all young children interested in the letter O with its beautiful illustrations made with oil paint. They love to point out when things are silly and don't make sense--like when an octopus is in an olive tree!
Learn more: Amazon
3. Octopus Craft Activity
After reading about an octopus, students can practice their fine motor skills using construction paper, scissors, and glue with this letter O craft where they make their own octopus! They'll have tons of fun with this creative, hands-on letter activity.
Learn more: Fantastic Fun and Learning
4. Cut and Paste Worksheet
Get kids interested with this letter O worksheet with this fine motor activity where they cut and paste the letter O to form different words! They also can trace the instructions on the bottom to practice correct pencil grasp and writing.
Learn more: Twisty Noodle
5. Tape Resist Art
Using tape, construction paper, and watercolor paints or crayons, this letter O lesson will allow children to be creative while also learning! They will all learn this cool letter while creating fridge-worthy artwork!
Learn more: Plano Public Library
6. Find and Cover Block Activity
This activity goes over the difference between a lowercase letter and an uppercase letter. Children use different colored blocks to cover up lowercase and uppercase Os. (The link is to an entire unit of Find and Cover Letter Activities from a popular alphabet curriculum.)
Learn more: Teachers Pay Teachers
7. Letter O Puzzle Printable
8. Letter O Maze
This outstanding letter O maze will have students practicing using a pencil while learning how to navigate a maze! Once they master this easy maze, you can move on to more difficult ones/letters.
Learn more: Muse Printables
9. O is for Ocean Activity
Follow the directions included in this fun activity focusing on the ocean to teach your children the letter O! After, you could even create a larger ocean-themed bulletin board as a class!
Learn more: All Kids Network
10. Salt Painting
While this activity focuses on the writing of names, it could easily be used to teach the letter O in a fun, creative way that will bring this letter to life. This is a perfect sensory activity to practice fine motor skills.
Learn more: Happy Hooligans
11. Teaching Through Song
After nap time, wake children up with this cool, engaging song all about O! They'll shake away the sleepies and be dancing around singing (and learning!) in no time.
Learn more: HooplaKidz
12. Ocean Jello-O!
For your letter O week, use this fun sensory activity where children dig around in ocean Jell-O to find creatures that live in the ocean! Kids will love exploring this "ocean"!
Learn more: Island Dolphin Care
13. Letter O Coloring
Students will love coloring the "O" things included in this worksheet, as well as learning new words--like "oak" and "oar"! Use the worksheet in the link or create your own!
Learn more: Activity Village
14. Beginning Sounds Worksheets
Discuss the sound O makes at the beginnings of words with this and other O letter sheets like it. Then children can color this inquisitive owl as well as practice tracing the letter shape!
Learn more: Boggles World ESL
15. Owen by Kevin Henkes
Read children's books like Owen to aid in letter recognition by having children point out everything in Owen's world that begins with an O, starting with his name!
Learn more: Amazon
16. O is for Owl
Add this to your collection of letter O activities because it is fun and engaging! Children will love building their own puppet-like owls using construction paper, googly eyes, and brown paper bags!
Learn more: Plank Road Publishing
17. Candy Os??
One thing all kids love is candy, so why not use it as a teaching tool? Use these gummy letters to teach young learners letter recognition. Children will love picking out all the O gummies! You could also use candy bracelets, as they are also shaped like Os!
Learn more: Amazon
18. Another Cool Song!
Children love to dance and jump around. If the first song didn't do the trick, teach them the letter sound of O with this fun, catchy little video.
Learn more: Jack Hartmann Kids Music Channel
19. Pinecone Ostriches!
Another activity to add to any "O" curriculum is this fun letter O-themed activity. Children will love the different textures and the fun ostriches they create! If done in the fall in an area with pine trees, they'll even like gathering the pinecones.
Learn more: Slice Art
20. Geoboard Letters
Children love manipulating different mediums, and this activity allows them to do just that! Introduce them to the letter O with this fun geoboard activity. (Link is to the entire unit of letters, not just O, but too many resources are better than too little, right?)
Learn more: Teachers Pay Teachers
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