The twenty-fourth letter of the alphabet, the letter X, is one of the most recognizable. There are fun ways to help children learn to identify this letter.
Songs, games, and craft activities can make learning letters more enjoyable and exciting.
Let’s look at our list of ten creative activities to help teachers and parents teach the letter X.
This playdough mat is a three-in-one activity sheet. Use play dough, ready-made or homemade, to help children develop stronger hand muscles as they knead and roll the clay.
Assist children in making the letter X for the mat by telling them to make two long snake-like shapes and cross them over on the mat. Use songs or chants about the letter X as they fill the mat with dough.
Let children use a marker or pencils to trace the dotted letters. Next, encourage children to write the letter X on the line. Praise their attempts at tracing and writing.
Add to the learning by using movements such as crossing the arms or fingers to make an X. Play a game by asking children to find items around the classroom or at home that will make the letter X.
These can be two pencils, chopsticks, handles of spoons or cutlery, etc. Encourage children to look at prints around and find the letter. Children will learn to recognize the letter when they see them often.
For this activity, you will need:
- Printable Playdough Mat
- Playdough
- Markers or pencils
For more information head over to EducationOutside.org
Ahoy mates! This fantastic activity is for pirate-loving children and treasure-hunting enthusiasts. This activity is excellent for sensory tables and centers as an added activity for children to enjoy.
Hide jewels or coins in the shape of an X in a box of sand for children to dig. Use different materials, preferably shiny objects that resemble treasure.
Use sensory sand for hours of fun digging and finding the letter. Make this activity more challenging by making this into a full-blown hunting game.
Hide several letter Xs including one that is the “most valuable X of all .” The most valuable can be the largest letter, the most colorful, or the shiniest.
Make a map of the classroom or home and mark the spots where the letters are hidden. Give each child a small bag to place their loot and a map to locate their treasures.
Allow children to have fun exploring the areas and finding treasures. Reward each letter that they can find.
For this activity, you will need:
- Toy coins and jewels
- Sand and sandbox
- Digging tools such as a plastic shovel and rake
For more information head over to MossWoodConnections.com
This timeless game is an excellent way to practice writing the letter X while having fun. It’s like hitting two birds with one stone! It even uses simple materials readily available in any classroom or home.
Find a piece of paper. Make a box with nine squares. Give each child a pencil or marker. Use two different colors of the marker if possible.
Explain the game’s rules to children like this: The red marker has to make an O while the black marker has to make an X. Each one will take turns writing the letters.
The first one to make a line of the same letters wins the game, whether horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.
This game will likely have second or more rounds, so prepare a lot of paper with nine squares, or an option is to use a small whiteboard. Make the same number of squares and give each child an erasable marker.
To make this game more challenging, tally the number of wins. Also, have a match set against different players. Set an exact number of wins for the championship game. Reward the champion.
For this activity, you will need:
- Paper
- Marker or pencil
For more information head over to Parenting.FirstCry.com
Songs and rhymes are ideal for children to remember concepts easily. The catchy tunes played repeatedly will encourage children not just to say the letter name but also to practice saying words with the letter X sound.
Print the book from the site and staple the pages together. Teach children the song or chants. Repeat this daily while tracing, writing, or doing activities related to the letter X.
Recall words from the songs and chants that have the letter X sound. Incorporate movements to make children easily remember the tunes and chants, such as driving movement with hands for the “X is in Taxi” or mixing action for “X is in Mixing.”
Extend this activity by turning the “X is in the Fox” rhyme into a game. Use a picture of a fox, an eye mask or scarf to cover the eyes, and a box. Have the children form a vast circle. Choose one child to hold the box.
Start with choosing the “It” who will wear the eye mask. Give the child a picture of the fox. The objective is for the blindfolded child to put the fox in the box. Recite the chant while the child attempts to find the box.
Opt to chant louder when the child is closer to the box and softer when farther. Once successful, choose a new “It” and let another child hold the box.
For this activity, you will need:
- Printable book of songs and rhymes
- Stapler
- A box
- Printed pic of a fox
For more information head over to TheMeasuredMom.com
The Capital Letter X Mat has four tasks that children will enjoy. To help children remember what the letter X looks like, they are encouraged to say the letter, write it, find and color, and color a picture that begins with it.
This activity is simple, and no complicated preparations are necessary other than to print the activity sheet from the site. Point to the letter in the box that says “Say It” and ask the children if they can tell the letter’s name.
Remind the children of the letter name if they cannot recall it. Have them write the letter X on the line. Explain that the line is a guide, and they must write as many letters as possible.
As a prompt, let the children trace the letter X on the “Say It” portion before writing on the line if they seem hesitant with the task.
Ask them to find the same letter in the “Find and Color It” section. Provide crayons or markers to use for this part. Ask them to shade the circles with the letter X lightly.
Lastly, ask the children if they can recognize the picture on the bottom right part of the worksheet. Let them know that it starts with the letter X and have them color the picture. This activity sheet gives kids fun and different ways to practice the letter. Plus, it’s easy and requires only simple materials.
For this activity, you will need:
- Printed worksheet
- Markers, pencils, or crayons
For more information head over to EducationOutside.org
Here’s a good process art for children to make that teaches letters. Children will enjoy adding different colors to their work. Each output will be unique and an excellent piece for conversation.
Start using the painter’s tape to make an X on the cardstock. Flatten the tape well to ensure that the paint will not seep underneath. Have the children paint the whole page using different colors.
Allow the paint to dry before removing the tape. Ask children to peel the tape off carefully. This part is highly satisfying and fascinating at the same time.
Vary this activity using different painting techniques. An example is painting with the use of a toothbrush. Dip an old toothbrush in paint and flick the bristles on the paper. Repeat the process using different colors to add layers.
Or use a sponge instead of a paintbrush. Lightly dip the sponge in the paint to coat it with color, then dab on the paper. Repeat using different colors to make it unique looking.
Make one or several of these X masterpieces for display. Have a gallery of X if possible.
For this activity, you will need:
- White cardstock
- Painter’s tape
- Paints in different colors
- Paintbrush, toothbrush, or sponge
For more information head over to EnchantedMommy.com
This X-ray craft is perfect for helping children associate the letter X with an object. It is simple and easy to make. The hardest part is waiting for the paint to dry.
Cover the child’s arm and hand with white paint. Use a paintbrush to spread the paint on the palms up to the arms. Carefully press the child’s hand diagonally on the black construction paper.
Press the other arm across the first arm print to make an X. Let the paint dry. Use this activity to extend the lesson. Discuss what an x-ray is.
Use storybooks such as “Maisy Goes to the Hospital” by Lucy Cousins to help children understand the process and reason for getting an x-ray.
If possible, show old x-ray plates on your phone or computer to children to see what the real thing looks like. Discuss how their x-ray craft and the real thing are similar or different.
For this activity, you will need:
- Black construction paper
- White paint
- Paintbrush
For more information head over to SchoolTimeSnippets.com
This adorable craft will help children learn that the word xylophone begins with the letter X. This is a simple cut-and-paste activity that even young children will enjoy making.
Cut out a letter X from the black paper to make this craft. Two strips of black paper glued together will also work. Next, cut strips of colored paper. Stick these on the X, making sure that no color is identical.
Cut the pipe cleaner in half and use glue to attach the black pompoms. These are the mallets that will go with the xylophone. Ask the children to count the number of plates or bars their xylophone has.
Use this craft to pretend to play a musical instrument. As the children hit each of the bars using their mallets, ask them to make the letter x sound. Show the children how to use the two mallets to make an X.
See if they can trace the letter X on the front side of their xylophone craft with their fingers or a mallet.
For this activity, you will need:
- Black construction paper
- Red pipe cleaner
- Black pompoms
- Colored paper
- Glue
- Scissors
For more information head over to KidsActivitiesBlog.com
This x-ray craft is easy to make and a perfect activity for aquatic-loving children. Make several of these for centers where children may build and design their aquariums.
Add shells and stones, and cut out green papers for water plants. Provide old cardboard with blue background for children to place these objects to make an aquarium scene.
To make the fish, draw a fish outline on a flattened toilet paper roll and cut it out. Paint both sides black and allow to dry. Next, cut out strips of white paper and arrange them on the roll to make the fish’s skeleton. Attach them with glue.
Cut out the head part and use the black marker to draw the eyes. Googly eyes may also be used.
Extend this activity by using pictures or showing videos of the real x-ray fish. Help them understand that these creatures are unique because they are partly transparent, and their bones are visible.
Talk about their habitat, food, and the threat to their survival because of deforestation in the Amazon Jungle.
For this activity, you will need:
- Toilet paper roll
- Black paint
- White paper
- Black marker
- Scissors
- Glue
For more information head over to RedTedArt.com
This adorable fox craft is perfect for hanging as decor for a woodland-themed party. It can also be for making the child’s room colorful. Remind children that the letter X in fox is found at the end of the word.
To make this craft, make a triangle shape by gluing together the three large popsicle sticks. Once the glue dries, paint it orange. Allow the paint to dry before attaching an orange paper to the back of the triangle.
Next, cut out a heart shape from the white felt. Cut this in half. Stick these on the triangle. Add the googly eyes.
Cut out a triangle from the black felt to make the nose. Cut out two triangles from the orange paper to make the ears. Attach them to the triangle. Refer to the photos on the site for this step.
This craft can also be turned into a refrigerator magnet. Just use a hot glue gun or craft glue to attach the magnet to the back of the fox.
For this activity, you will need:
- Large popsicle sticks
- Black and white felt
- Orange cardstock
- Orange paint
- Googly eyes
- Scissors
For more information head over to CraftCreateCook.com
Conclusion
We hope you like our list of ten fun and creative ways to help teach children the letter X. These crafts and activities are simple to make and will provide children loads of enjoyment.
Some of these activities have step-by-step photos to help children work independently. Remember that learning letters need not be boring. These activities will do the trick.
Thank you for reading!
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