To prepare:
Print both mats in colour or greyscale and
then laminate them (you will be glad you did after the kids get their hands on
the mats 😉). Print the coloured heart
cards and be sure to laminate those too. I chose to create a booklet with these
mats by using a hole puncher but you can also glue these mats into a file
folder and have them setup and ready for use year after year.
Alphabet Matching Activity Mat Valentine Penguins
These mats are so much fun for
pre-schoolers and kindergarten kids alike. You could totally differentiate
these alphabet mats depending on the level
of the students in your group. Once you’ve laminated the mats and cards, place
the cards in an envelope (inside the file folder if you’re using one). I use
rubber bands on my cards to keep them in place. This is also optional but you
can add Velcro to each alphabet penguin on the mat along with the matching set
of heart cards. It’s really totally optional!
Kids can work on matching their uppercase – lowercase letters or they can match uppercase – uppercase letters. A great way for kids to practice letter differentiation.
Kids can work on matching their uppercase – lowercase letters or they can match uppercase – uppercase letters. A great way for kids to practice letter differentiation.
You could totally turn this activity into a
competitive group game by having two sets of file folders and have the kids
compete to match all their ‘heart letter cards’ with the penguins on the mat.
The group to finish the whole set with no mistakes (or least amount of) wins
the competition!
Yara from Sea of Knowledge
Founder of Sea of Knowledge, an ESL teacher with a passion for making learning fun and engaging. She loves creating fun activities that children and learners can benefit from. You can also find me on: Facebook and Pinterest.
For more FREE Valentine's Day printables, see our entire collection here:
Great resource! I really enjoyed the “Valentine Penguins Alphabet Matching” activity on Totschooling — the playful penguins and heart-shaped cards make matching uppercase to lowercase letters fun for preschoolers and kindergarteners. The suggestion to laminate the mats and turn them into a durable file-folder activity is especially smart.
ReplyDeleteThis kind of hands-on game pairs wonderfully with digital tools like MatchMemes, which could reinforce the same letter-matching skills in a screen-based format. You might assign kids to play a quick MatchMemes round after the printable session to consolidate their learning in two different formats.
Thanks for offering such a well-designed free printable! It’s a great go-to for a themed literacy activity around Valentine’s Day, and the mix of play and learning feels spot on.
These are absolutely adorable and such a clever idea! The file folder setup with Velcro is genius for making a durable, reusable center. I love how you've built in differentiation and even a game option. It's so helpful when creators share their process, much like how a good Taimi review can give you a real sense of how an app works before you dive in.
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