Alphabet Zoom Zip-Line Letters is a fun way for young kids to practice letter recognition and the sounds they make! When I saw this activity in the new book 100 Fun & Easy Learning Games for Kids by Amanda Boyarshinov and Kim Vij, I knew my five-year old son would love it! The activity as shown in the book is brilliantly simple! As is, kids will have a blast zipping letters down a line! But as I was making it, I had an idea to make the letters into characters! And I couldn’t resist adding a fun twist to this already awesome learning activity!
Disclaimer: This activity has been reprinted with permission from the publisher from book 100 FUN & EASY LEARNING GAMES FOR KIDS. I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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Alphabet Zoom! Zip-Line Letters
Activity as shown in 100 Fun & Easy Learning Games for Kids:
To prepare this activity as shown in the 100 Fun & Easy Learning Games for Kids you simply cut some tag board into squares. Index cards cut in half would also work well. Then write the letters of the alphabet on the cards and tape a bent paper clip on the back creating a hook for the zip-line.
How to Prepare Alphabet Character Cards:
To prepare this silly version of zip-line letters you’ll need a few extra craft supplies in addition to the materials mentioned above:
- alphabet foam stickers
- small googly eyes
- glue stick
To prepare this activity you’ll need to cut the tag board into squares and then instead of writing the letters with permanent marker, place an alphabet foam sticker on to each square. Then add some googly eyes and draw arms and a mouth on to each letter! Finally tape a bent paper clip on the back of each card to create a hook for the zip-line.
Creating silly character letters takes a bit more time than simply writing the letters on the cards, but I love the added personality of each letter! It is also a fun way to teach letter sounds to children by explaining that each letter makes their sound as they zoom down the zip-line! For example you could say “The letter E says “Eeeeee!” all the way down the zip-line!”
To set up the zip-line I used a jump rope and tied one end to the bottom of the stair banister. This created the perfect zip-line for my five-year old to control! Plus I didn’t have to find and cut any string or yarn!
I absolutely love this book! 100 Fun & Easy Learning Games for Kids by Amanda Boyarshinov and Kim Vij is just that, fun and easy! All 100 of the games are fun, meaning that kids ages three to seven will love playing them over and over! The activities are also super easy for parents, teachers and caregivers to prepare within minutes. They all use simple household items and basic craft supplies found anywhere! Plus all the games promote fun, hands-on learning covering literacy, math and more! Another great thing about the games in this book is that they can be adapted for any level and multiple subjects! I can’t wait to try other games with my son!
More about the book:
The fun, innovative activities in 100 FUN & EASY LEARNING GAMES FOR KIDS: Teach Reading, Writing, Math and More with Fun Activities (Page Street Publishing Co., May 24, 2016; $21.99) by Amanda Boyarshinov and Kim Vij, co-founders of the popular parenting blog, TheEducatorsSpinOnIt.com, will prepare your kids to thrive in school and life the fun way by using guided play at home to teach important lesson topics – reading, writing, math, science, art, music and global studies. An impressive collection of DIY games and activities done with everyday household items, 100 FUN & EASY LEARNING GAMES FOR KIDS is the solution for parents – as well as teachers, caregivers or relatives – to help kids realize how fun learning can be and develop what they’ll need to do well wherever life takes them.
Kids love to play, but they don’t always love to learn. With 100 FUN & EASY LEARNING GAMES FOR KIDS, turn playtime into an opportunity for your children to learn skills that will prepare them for school. In the activities, children learn fundamental skills in areas like reading, writing, math, science, the world, art and music – but they’ll have so much fun, they won’t even realize they’re learning!
All activities highlight the skill they teach, and some are marked with a symbol whether they are good for on-the-go learning or if they incorporate movement for kids to get their wiggles out.
100 FUN & EASY LEARNING GAMES FOR KIDS is divided into six sections. Some experiments include:
1. Fantastic Reading: Zip-Line Letters; Caterpillar Cover; Build a Letter; Real or Nonsense?
2. Amazing Writing Adventures: Shop the Alphabet; Mystery Words; Storytelling Seashells; Sneak-a-Peek-Letters
3. Really Cool Math: 25 Squish; 3,2,1, Blast Off!; Bees in the Hive; Estimation Station
4. Super Science: Magnetic Construction Site; Rocket Ship Adventure; Ice Castle Challenge; Superhero Water
5. Magical Music and Art: Outdoor Sound Garden; Print Mysteries; Dragon Castle; Pattern Wheel
6. Going Global: Celebration Jar; State Toss; Technology Timeline; Roll a Landform
The huge variety of activities means you can choose from high-energy group games full of laughter and delight, or quiet activities that kids can complete on their own.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Amanda Boyarshinov is a National Board certified teacher with extensive experience in early childhood education. She holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in reading for grades K-12. You will often find her in her backyard exploring nature with her kids or doing a hands-on science project at the kitchen table.
Kim Vij is a certified teacher with over 20 years of experience teaching in early childhood education. She transitioned from classroom teaching to have a wider and stronger impact on early childhood education through advocacy. Her live and online appearances have helped her spread her message and become one of the leading experts of early childhood developmental activities.
Amanda and Kim are the co-founders and writers of the children’s activity site TheEducatorsSpinOnIt.com, which has over 1.5 million Pinterest followers, over 100,000 monthly page views and 17,000 Facebook fans. They have worked with brands like Melissa and Doug, Sylvan Learning and Camp Invention. Both Amanda and Kim live in Florida.
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