Field Trip – Bay Area Glass Institute

Today we’re heading to San Jose, CA to visit the Bay Area Glass Institute. The Bay area is blessed with a number of places people who love glass can go to learn more about glass. They offer classes in all aspects of glass working as well as studio rental time. There’s a gallery and a gift shop. They have events and lectures series offerings such as Third Thursdays. All of this sounds like loads of fun. I’m kind of jealous that we don’t have something similar in Los Angeles. Might have to do something about that…

So if you’re interested in venturing up California to the San Jose area or you already live up there take a tour of the Bay Area Glass Institute and pick me up a trinket from the gift store.

I did a post earlier this year with activities and ideas for teaching the alphabet, but a lot or learning letters and recognizing them just has to do with seeing them and working with them a lot.

That means coloring, tracing, identifying things that start with different letters and more.

One way to reinforce the letters is through little activity books like these cute printable alphabet books from Life Over Cs.

These are available for free when you subscribe to her newsletter, and I’d say that’s well worth it if you have a little one (or a group of little ones!) working on the alphabet and letter recognition.

Each mini book includes a collection of things that start with that letter to color, color and read with words that start with the letter, tracing the letter, finding the letter in a grid and other coloring pages with objects that start with that letter.

These little books are super useful reinforcing the different letters and giving kids different activities related to the letters.

If you do a letter of the day or letter of the week you can use a new book for each one, and then keep the copies in your reading center or in a basket where kids can look at them again.

And of course you can add in all the other letter activities you like, go on a scavenger hunt for items that start with that letter, read alphabet books, practice writing letters in rice or with pompoms or playdough or whatever sensory activities you like.

You can grab the free printables when you enter you email address at Life Over Cs, and check out her other great alphabet resources and activities while you are over there.

Do you have favorite activities for teaching letters to kids? I’d love to hear about them!

[Photo: Life Over Cs]

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