(I originally wrote this post when Edison was a toddler. This activity was fantastic for practicing the alphabet and phonics. Now that he is in preschool, we are still getting a lot out of it. Even though he knows his alphabet, the game is great for phonics practice and we have modified it to help with vocabulary too!)

I have a lot of board games left over from when I was a kid, and I just can’t wait until my son is old enough to enjoy them. Lately, I have started adapting some of the games to work for younger kids. Even though Scattergories is quite a bit above his level (it requires writing), I did manage to find a great way to “play” it with my son.

My spirited child has more fun learning when he is moving. So, the other day, I pulled the alphabet die out of our Scattergories box and turned it into a little alphabet and phonics game. We called it Letter Ball.

The “rules” were simple. My son would roll the die, run after it, tell me the letter on the top of the die, and then we had to come up with words that started with that letter. The nice thing is that the Scattergories die does not have the notoriously difficult letters like X and Z.

This little alphabet activity kept him occupied for about a half an hour. It also gave him the opportunity to run around and throw things in the house, always a plus with an active child.

Practice Phonics and Introduce New Vocabulary with Your Preschooler

Even though my son is now a preschooler, I am still able to modify the rules to keep it challenging. Now, we pick a category like “food”. Then, when he rolls the die, we have to come up with foods that starts with that letter.

So, not only does the game help him practice phonics, but it also expands his vocabulary because he can’t just come up with the same old words time after time.

Scattergories Letter Ball in Action (Toddler style…)

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Read Along with your Finger
If your toddler is like mine, their eyes are attracted to movement. Although my little boy doesn’t follow word for word, he will definitely look when I emphasize a word by pointing at it emphatically.

Match Words to Pictures
If you read the word “bear” and there happens to be a picture of a bear on the page, take a second to point to it. Not only will your toddler start to understand that there is a connection between written words and objects, but they will also learn to associate specific words with things.

Get your Toddler Involved
Ask your toddler to look for objects in the pictures. Talk about the story and try to relate it to an experience they had first-hand. “They are having a picnic. Do you remember when we went on a picnic?” Ask your toddler what they think will happen next or how a character might be feeling about a situation. “Do you think the dog is sad?”

Hunt for Alphabet Letters
For some reason, my toddler loves the letters “O” and “S”. Whether prompted or not, he will happily point out all of those letters on the page no matter how small the type. Hunting for letters is a great way to practice the alphabet with your toddler.
Let your Toddler Choose the Books
Sure, you may find yourself reading the same book over and over again for nights on end, but there is a reason your toddler loves it. They will be more engaged in books that interest them. Plus, memorization can help toddlers learn to read sooner. Of course, it is good to expand their horizons every now and again. We normally read two books before bed, one that our toddler chooses and one that we chose. Sometimes, our book becomes his new favorite.

Read to your Toddler Slowly
Your toddler will get a lot more from reading if you slow it down a bit. Their brains can process to stories and words better and they will have a chance to process what you are reading.

Make Reading to your Toddler Fun
Speak enthusiastically and use different voices for different characters. Your toddler will pick up on your excitement and they will WANT to read with you.

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