Have a Letter Party

Introduction

Make your own T-E-A party with your child to teach letter identification and the sounds of the letters.

Materials:

• T shaped cookie cutter
• E shaped cookie cutter
• A shaped cookie cutter
• bread
• peanut butter
• jelly
• pre-made biscuit dough
• apples
• apricots
• 2-4 eggs
• 1-2 tomatoes
• 1 white paper table cloth (can also substitute a paper table cloth for white pieces of paper that are taped together to make a table cloth)
• crayons/markers

Directions:

Using the above materials, you will create your own letter party. Feel free to use some or all of the suggestions below. For younger children, we suggest focusing on one letter parties.

• Lay your Paper Table cloth (or taped pieces of paper) on a table and set out your crayons and markers. With your child, write the letters T, E and A all over your table cloth. You may want to draw the letters yourself with dotted lines and have your child trace the letters.
• Make 3 (or more) Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches. With your T, E and A cookie cutters, press them into your sandwiches to make T-E-A sandwiches.
• Using your biscuit dough, (which may need to be flattened so you can fit the entire cookie cutter on the dough) press the T, E and A cookie cutters into the dough. *Adults only; Follow directions on the label for baking and you have made T-E-A biscuits.
• *Adults only; Place your eggs in a pot of water. Bring to a boil and then let them cook for 15 minutes. Cool and peal place in a bowl. Your hardboiled eggs are now ready!
• *Adults only; Slice your apple(s) and place in a bowl on the table.
• Fill a bowl of apricots and place on the table.
• *Adults only; Slice your tomatoes and place on a plate. *Optional; cut fresh mozzarella or basil and put on top of the tomatoes to make a tomato salad.

*Adults only; If you don't have letter cookie cutters, you can cut letters out yourself using a butter knife.

Take It Further

• Have other 'letter' parties. You can use the letters in your child's name. Ex: A "J-a-s-o-n" Party or A "M-e-g-a-n" Party and have foods and items that start with the letters in their name.
• You and your child can find other T, E and A foods and/or items that you may want to use for your party and substitute some of the materials above.
• On your table cloth, label what each item is at the party by writing the name of that item. Ex: Next to the bowl of apples, write the word apple.

Talk About It

• What was your child's favorite birthday party that he or she had? What was you child's favorite party that he or she attended? What kind of party would your child like to have in the future?
• Was there a time that your child did not believe something someone that told them or someone did not believe something that he or she said? Talk to your child about what they did when that happened.