Learning the letters of the alphabet can be fun and exciting. Incorporating craft activities is an excellent way to make this task engaging for young learners. Children may learn the way the letters look-their shapes, lines, and curves. This list explores ten different ways to help children improve their letter knowledge skills for the letter Jj.
Before children can write letters independently, they will first need to learn how to trace these letters. And before they can be efficient in any tracing activity, their fine motor skills and the muscles they use to write need to be strong.Â
This activity addresses all three learning goals. Using play dough to shape the letter J in their uppercase and lowercase forms, the small muscles in children’s hands will strengthen. Â
The child will be asked to form the dough based on the outline on the mat. Afterward, the child will be given a writing tool (crayons, pencils, or markers) meant for paper. The student is asked to trace the dotted lines that form the letters.Â
Once the two tasks are completed, the learner will be asked to write the letters on the line underneath independently. Try to praise every attempt of the child even if the results are not ideal.Â
As they do this activity repeatedly, they will develop control and be able to manipulate writing tools with ease. They will also find it easier to make the hook of the letter Jj. In no time, writing the letter Jj becomes effortless.Â
The materials needed for this activity are the following:Â
- Playdough
- Writing tools such as pencils, crayons, or markers
- Letter Jj Playdough Mat from Education OutsideÂ
For more information, check out EducationOutside.org.
This fun activity lets children learn the letter J and allows them to be crafty using easily sourced materials. It will also help them master muscle control as they slowly squeeze the glue onto the outline.Â
Using old cardboard, create an outline of the letter J using a marker. You may use your computer to print the letter J if you find this task difficult or you are doing it for many children. Cut the shape of the letter and trace it onto the cardboard.Â
Depending on how much control the child has, you may provide each of them with a bottle of glue to squeeze on the outline of the letter. Guide them as they cover the lines. Otherwise, this step requires advanced preparation from an adult.Â
Once the lines are covered with glue, place the cardboard on an art tray. Have the children sprinkle salt over them. Make sure that everything is covered. Shake off the remaining salt that did not cling to the glue. Â
When the glue is dry and salt hardened, have the children use watercolors to paint the letter. The result is a very colorful letter J!
For this activity, you will need the following:
- Cardboard
- Craft glue
- Salt (preferably fine not rock salt)
- Marker or pencil for tracing the letter J
- PaintbrushesÂ
- Watercolors
- Art tray
To find out more about this activity, you may check out AbcdeeLearning.com.Â
An excellent way to remember what a letter looks like is to associate it with something related. This activity is a perfect example. The craft is a letter J made to look like a jaguar.Â
This activity helps improve letter recognition, cutting and pasting, and drawing skills. It also allows a good introduction to letter-to-sound correspondence.
Use a cut-out letter J from orange craft paper. Other parts such as the two ears, four legs, and a head are also needed. For the tail, an orange pipe cleaner is recommended. Use googly eyes for the eyes and a black pompom for the nose.Â
There is no template for this activity to print. However, one can easily duplicate the shapes. The blog provides a link to a video tutorial that may be helpful. Â
Depending on the children’s cutting skills, they may cut the shapes on the paper, or an adult will be required to have all these pre-cut in advance.Â
Allow the children to put together the jaguar craft. Use glue for the paper parts, and double-sided tape is highly recommended for the googly eyes, pompom, and pipe cleaner. Use markers to draw the mouth, the spots, and other markings on the jaguar.Â
For this activity, you will need the following:Â
- Orange craft paper
- Two googly eyes
- A small black pompom
- An orange pipe cleaner
- Glue and/or double-sided tape
- Black marker or pen
- Scissors
For more information on this activity be sure to check out KidsActivitiesBlog.com.Â
Another fun craft from our list is this jellyfish. For the whole craft, a single paper plate is enough. Aside from helping children remember that jellyfish start with the letter J, this activity will also help them practice their cutting and coloring skills.Â
Prepare the craft by cutting out the center circle part of the paper plate. Children can cut this themselves if they can use the scissors with caution. Otherwise, an adult will need to prepare for this step beforehand.Â
Once done, cut the circle in half. This half-moon shape will be the body of the jellyfish. Cut wavy lines on the straight edge of the half-moon.Â
The rim of the paper plate will be used for the tentacles. Cut it lengthwise to about half an inch in width. Once ready, have the kids color the body and the tentacles. Glue the eyes in front of the body and the tentacles at the back.Â
You may opt to add yarn to hang the craft for everyone to see. This blog has an easy step-by-step procedure to follow.Â
For this activity, you will need the following:Â
- A paper plate
- Scissors
- Markers or paints in blue and yellow
- Craft GlueÂ
- Two googly eyesÂ
Be sure to check this site for a detailed description of this craft SightandSoundLearning.com.
Toilet paper rolls and paper plates are gems for those who teach in preschool. Toilet paper rolls can be used to make crafts that teach letter concepts. This activity requires advanced cutting skills that are not meant for kids.
 This jungle playset uses these materials to teach the letter J and help children understand what the jungle is all about. The animals include a snake, a monkey, and an elephant.Â
To make the snake, paint a toilet paper roll inside and out. Let this dry completely. Next, cut it into a spiral form. Starting with a broader width for the head. As the roll is cut, ensure the body gets narrower up to the tail.
Glue the eyes and tongue on the head. Next, use the markers to draw dots on the head for the nose.Â
For the monkey, cut the top of the toilet paper roll to resemble a head and ears. Use paint or markers to draw the head. Once dry, add the eyes.Â
To make the elephant, start by cutting slits on the front and back of the toilet paper roll. These will be for the tail and trunk. Next, cut the top to resemble the head and round two flaps on each side for the ears. Paint and let it dry. Lastly, add the eyes.Â
For the tree, paint the paper plates green and the toilet paper rolls brown. Let them dry completely. Next, cut the paper plates in half. Cut a long slit on one of the halves to attach without using adhesives.Â
Cut four slits on the toilet paper rolls. Attach the top of the tree on the trunk. Now, the jungle set is ready.Â
For this activity, you will need the following:Â
- Toilet paper rolls (one for each animal)
- Paper plate (one for each tree)
- Googly eyes (a pair for each animal)
- Paint (preferably water-based)
- Craft glue
- Brown pipe cleaner (for the monkey’s tail)
- Colored paper (for snake’s tongue)
- MarkersÂ
The site has colorful pictures of the procedure that are easy to follow. Make sure to check it out for more details KidsCraftRoom.com.
This unique letter recognition activity teaches the letter J through a fun and simple craft. The site offers a free printable template of the letter J in uppercase. For this letter, jellyfish is the animal used for associating with the letter J.
Have the printable ready for the children to color. Children may use whatever coloring materials are available such as crayons, markers, watercolors, etc.Â
Children may be given scissors to practice their cutting skills. This activity can also be used for guided cutting practice. Teachers may guide the students in cutting the craft.Â
This craft has a combination of straight and curved lines that children may find challenging. Provide necessary assistance for children who may find this task difficult.Â
Once the pieces are colored and cut, put them together. First, glue the head on top of the letter J. Next, add the tentacles. Children may use markers to draw a face on the jellyfish.Â
For this activity, be sure to prepare the following:Â
- Printable letter J craft
- Crayons, markers, or watercolors
- Glue
- Scissors
The printable is found on the site  PreschoolPlayandLearn.com.
Worksheets that require little to no preparation are heaven-sent! Education Outside’s j activity mat is a perfect example of this.Â
In this single worksheet, the children are provided four tasks to accomplish. These are: to say the letter name and the letter sound, identify the letter amongst other letters, write or copy the letter, and color the picture of the juice that corresponds with the letter j.
This activity strengthens the child’s ability to recognize the lowercase letter j. It can also be used as a supplement after an activity that introduces what the lowercase j looks and sounds like. It is also good to follow this up with things that begin with the letter J sound.Â
Since the worksheet has clear instructions, all that is needed is for the teacher to prepare the printable and writing/coloring tools for the child.Â
To make this worksheet reusable, you may need to laminate it and have children use erasable markers instead of crayons and pencils.Â
For this activity, you will need the following:Â
- Printable worksheet
- Pencil and crayons
You may find the printable on EducationOutside.org.
It is always recommended to teach letter knowledge by allowing children to associate the letter with an object it represents. In this case, it’s creating a wearable craft while learning the letter J.Â
This activity is pretty simple. All that is needed is to prepare the jellybeans for threading. Using a thick quilting needle to poke a hole and a regular needle to thread the beans together is recommended.Â
Once the needle becomes gummy, dip it in water and wipe with a clean rag. When enough jellybeans are threaded to fit the wearer’s wrist, tie the end of the string, and the bracelet is ready to wear.Â
However, as a precaution, watch over the children or guide their hands as they do this activity. Needles are sharp and can cause pain when improperly used.Â
Another option is to poke the jellybeans in advance. The children will thread them together using a blunt plastic needle or a pipe cleaner. With proper guidance, this activity can be very rewarding.Â
For this activity, you will need the following:Â
- Two types of needles-thick quilting needle and regular needle
- A long strand thread or several depending on its thickness
- Jellybeans
- A bowl of water and a clean rag for cleaning the needles
For more information on this activity, check out KidsActivitiesBlog.com.
This craft is perfect for teaching letter recognition using a Christmas theme for the letter J. It mimics a Christmas stocking with the shape of the letter J with added trimmings.Â
This activity is another good way to teach letter recognition and letter-sound correspondence through arts and crafts.Â
To put together the craft, prepare the printed template of the letter J from the site, cut out the red and green paper strips, and paste them on the J template. Make sure that they are glued alternately and that they cover the white area inside the letter J
Next, tie the bells using ribbons or yarn. Make sure there is enough length to tie onto the letter J while the bells are dangling. Once finished, attach the ribbons on top of the J. Lastly, glue the cotton balls to cover the part where the ribbons are tied. Â
The site provides a video tutorial for this craft. Encourage children to hang it during the holidays. This colorful letter J Jingle Bells craft is a perfect decor for everyone to see!
For this activity, you will need the following:Â
- Letter J template
- Construction paper in red and green
- Ribbon or yarn in red or green
- Small-sized jingle bells in red, green, or silver
- Cotton balls
- Scissors
- Craft glue
For the letter template and video tutorial, be sure to check AllKidsNetwork.com
Sensory bins are an essential tool in preschool classrooms. It allows children to explore different textures and lets them master concepts by searching for items hidden in the bins.Â
In this activity, the objective is to associate objects that begin with the letter J. The bin is filled with a jam from several jars. In it are some objects for the children to find. There are wooden letter Js, some plastic jaguars, and jets.
A small juice box with a straw is also in the bin for the children to drink. Some laminated flashcards of objects beginning with the letter J, such as pictures of jam or Justin Bieber are also in the bin.Â
The children are given a spoon to scoop the jam into the empty jar. As they play and explore, they get to practice the letter J sound and associate them with the items found in the bin.Â
Using real-life objects and pictures is an excellent way to encourage children to become natural explorers. It will also expose them to different textures to stimulate their senses.Â
For this activity, you will need the following:
- Empty and clean jars (small enough for children to hold)
- A good amount of jam to cover the bin
- Objects and pictures that begin with the letter J
- Spoons for scooping
For more details on this activity, head to HumbleHeartsAcademy.com.
Final Words
Teaching children the letters of the alphabet takes a lot of time and effort. Working on this task does not mean that it has to be tedious. We can say that incorporating arts and crafts, sensory activities, and fun worksheets will help in the mastery of this skill. Â
We hope you like our list. Be sure to check out the activities and links we posted. Thanks for reading!
