• Incorporate the alphabet in art activities.alphabet image by Blue Moon from Fotolia.com
  
  Alphabet art activities help kids recognize their letters from A to Z. The more opportunities they have to create the letters, the more easily they can identify the different letters. The letter art activities are ideal for toddlers, preschoolers and early elementary students who are working on letter recognition. Adapt the activities to fit the kids' needs and the available resources.
  
  

Letter Collage

• A letter collage helps kids connect the actual letter with the sound it makes. Each child needs a large bubble letter-style cutout of the letter. Help the kids cut out the letters to improve their cutting skills, or cut the letters out for them head of time. The kids must look through old magazines and find pictures of things that begin with that letter. For example, the letter A collage might include magazine pictures of an apple, acorn, alligator and ant. The kids glue the pictures onto the letter cutout. They can also decorate the letter backgrounds.
  
  

Glitter Letters

• Help each child draw the specified letter on a piece of paper with glue. The kids then sprinkle glitter on top of the glue lines and shake off the excess glitter to reveal the letter. For a more creative display, have them draw the letter several times in different sizes all over the paper. Sprinkle the entire paper with different colors of glitter. Other items also work well for this activity. Colored rice, seed beads or dry beans can be used. For larger items, have the kids place each piece on the glue line rather than sprinkle them on the picture.
  
  

Clay Letters

• Self-hardening play dough or clay allows the kids to create their own set of letters. Roll out the clay and let the kids use alphabet cookie cutters to make one of each letter. After the letters are dry, let the kids paint them. You can also poke a hole in the top of each letter with a pencil or wooden dowel so you can hang them with a string once they are hardened.
  
  

Magazine Letters

• This art project is a different twist on an alphabet collage. The kids search through old magazines looking for each letter of the alphabet. The letters are glued to a piece of construction paper in alphabetical order. The result is an artistic representation of the alphabet because all of the letters will be different sizes and fonts from the magazine print.
  
  

Nature Letters

• Let the kids create letters from items in nature. Sticks are an easy option especially for letters that have straight lines. Use string or hot glue to attach the sticks together to form the letters. Kids can spell their names with the sticks or practice particular letters. Let the kids wrap the entire letter with yarn for a decorative touch.