Kids learn about the alphabet from a young age! Whether they are singing the ABC’s or identifying letters of their name, it is one of the first things kids learn about! Including fine motor and gross motor activities with the alphabet is both great for learning and working on motor skills. Below are just a handful of ideas on combining the alphabet with motor skills. The possibilities are endless!
Alphabet Gross Motor Ideas
Pink Oatmeal has a ton of gross motor ideas that you can use to combine learning about the letters, letter recognition, letter reversals and more.
Let’s get started…
Any type of movement based game with the alphabet is fun. Alphabet yoga and movement is one way to do this. I’m a huge fan of visuals when it comes to this!
Here is an example of alphabet yoga in action. This is just one way to use these cards and printables. They could be used digitally on a screen, on a bulletin board, in a hallway, on any wall, or the floor like in the video below. They are super versatile.
You can see all the alphabet yoga ideas from Pink Oatmeal.
How about making your body into the shape of the different letters of the alphabet and spelling your name? This can be done with the Alphabet Magic Moves Game.
GET THE ALPHABET MAGIC MOVES GAME
This is just one option to put the printables on the floor. You could also make a bulletin board out of them, place them in the hallway as a hallway activity or even right on the wall with tape!
Another great option is picking an object that starts with a letter of the alphabet and trying to move like that object. For example, A is for Airplane. Try to move like an airplane.
You can see an entire list of alphabet movement ideas from Pink Oatmeal.
You can also get a set of Alphabet Movement Cards and Printables that are already created and ready to go for you!
Alphabet Gross Motor Digital Games
Like digital or the convivence of being able to carry a game right on your tablet or computer? Pink Oatmeal has you covered! There are several different digital games that you can play right on your tablet, computer, or even your interactive whiteboard. I love hearing the feedback on how people are integrating these games into their in persona and distance learning!
These games are available to be played in PowerPoint, Google Slides or right in the PDF file (yep, the PDF file is even digitized for you!).
Let’s start with the Alphabet Gross Motor Game. This game is all about making your body into the different letters of the alphabet. Spell your name, work on spelling words, or play a game with this! Below is an example of the game in action in a digital manner.
GET THE ALPHABET GROSS MOTOR DIGITAL GAME
These digital games get even better, because you can also print them and use them as printables. They could be used in a hallway, on a wall, a bulletin board, and they are easy to carry with you!
A huge fan favorite at Pink Oatmeal are the Escape Room Games. The Alphabet Escape Room is another fantastic way to work on the alphabet along with movement!
GET THE ALPHABET THEMED FITNESS ESCAPE ROOM
Like all the digital games, this game can also be printed and used in a printable manner if you wish! You can even print certain pages of the game, such as the code page to write down the correct codes!
Simple Alphabet Gross Motor
Another favorite from Pink Oatmeal is the alphabet spots. The alphabet spot printables are available to Pink Oatmeal All-Access Pass Members. These are very versatile and can be used in several different ways.
GET THE ALPHABET GROSS MOTOR SPOTS
Here a couple examples of the alphabet spots in action.
Place different letters on the wall. Now use these letters to work on balance. Have the child either touch the letter with their foot or with a knee. You could also move to quadruped or high kneeling to perform this activity. Be strategic with the letters that you place on the wall. If you want to work on spelling certain words, make sure you have the correct letters on the wall.
How about incorporating the balance beam with the alphabet spots. This can be as simple as placing the spots alongside the beam. Call out letters and have the child walk the beam to those letters and tap their heel on the letter. You can be strategic with this as well and have all of the letters laid out for the child’s name and have them walk along tapping the different letters of their name.
Another favorite is with the Bosu ball. This could also be a balance board, air disc or wedge! Even a pillow would work for an uneven surface.
Alphabet Fine Motor and Gross Motor Combined
There is nothing better than when you can knock out lots of skills with one activity. Combining gross motor and fine motor skills along with alphabet practice is a great way to do this.
Below are a few ideas on how to get your creativity started! All of the printables in the activities below can be found in the Pink Oatmeal Alphabet Fine Motor Activity Pack.
GET THE ALPHABET FINE MOTOR ACTIVITY PACK
Several different pieces of equipment can be incorporated into combining gross motor and fine motor, but you also can do this equipment free.
Example #1 is all about working on the vertical surface. In this case, standing on a wedge. This challenges balance, engages the core, uses the vertical surface and gives different input to the feet.
He is using a dry paint brush in this activity to trace the letter.
The next example is using the Bosu Ball (affiliate link). In this case, the Bosu is being kneeled on. This is a fabulous challenge for core stability. This activity is also done on the vertical surface, but you could do it tabletop as well.
He is using a dry paint brush again to find his way through the letter maze.
Kneeling isn’t the only option for the BOSU ball, this could also be done in standing. Move the printable a bit higher and you have a fabulous balance and fine motor activity!
The balance beam is another great option for combining the alphabet, gross motor and fine motor in one activity. In this example, the kiddo walks across the beam to the letter and places a color dot on the letter. This could also be done with a tongs and pom!
Changing up positions without any equipment is another great option for any alphabet fine motor activity. Working in prone promotes great scapular and core strength as well as different input.
These are just scratching the surface with different ways that you can combine fine motor and gross motor skills while working on the alphabet.
Again, all of the different worksheets can be found in the Pink Oatmeal shop.
GET THE ALPHABET FINE MOTOR ACTIVITY PACK
Alphabet + Motor Skills Digital
There are also several different options in a digital format. These games too can all be played on your computer, tablet, or interactive whiteboard. They come in Google Slides, PowerPoint, and PDF format. You are more than welcome to print the games and use them as printables too.
First up, the letter reversal game. We all know those kiddos who struggle with letter reversals. Let’s make a game out of it and add some movement at the same time.
Below is a sped up example of this game in action in a digital format.
Another awesome game that incorporates fine motor, gross motor, and letter recognition is the Letter Formation and Movement Game. In this game you pick a letter, write the letter, and make your body into the letter.
GET THE LETTER FORMATION AND MOVEMENT GAME
Below is an example of how this game is played in a digital manner. You can also print all the pages or any of the select pages you want.
Alphabet Fine Motor Activities
Let’s talk about alphabet fine motor activities. Pink Oatmeal has a huge pack of different fine motor activities that you can use to combine the alphabet and fine motor skills.
GET THE ALPHABET FINE MOTOR ACTIVITY PACK
Above, were several different ideas on how to combine these worksheets with gross motor activities or working in different positions. That being said, these are also great for any tabletop activity where you want to focus in on a specific skill.
In the Alphabet Fine Motor Activity Pack you get all of these activities for every letter of the alphabet. Just think of all the different things that you can do with these!
GET THE ALPHABET FINE MOTOR ACTIVITY PACK
These ideas are a great starting point for all of the different things that you can do when it comes to the alphabet and motor skills!
Pink Oatmeal Alphabet Resources
Pink Oatmeal has several different alphabet themed resources that can save you time and effort and are ready to go for you today!
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE RESOURCES
You can also click on the name of the resources below to see a full description.
Alphabet Movement Cards Alphabet Moves Bundle Alphabet Yoga Bundle Alphabet In Action Book Alphabet Magic Moves Fine Motor Tracing Escape Room – Alphabet Theme Alphabet Gross Motor Game Exercise Spot Alphabet Theme Alphabet Fine Motor Activities Alphabet Fitness Escape Room Alphabet Yoga Cards Alphabet Digital Game Bundle Alphabet Motor Pack Letter Formation + Movement Game Letter Reversal Gross Motor Game
