Learning is fun: Letter F

There should be some sort of rehab for glitter addicts. I remember the trouble I got into last time I used it, I know I shouldn't go near it again, and I certainly shouldn't let my kids have it. But it's just so fun. I really can't help myself.

Our creative juices flowed in the form of fingerpaint and fish for letter F week. With Justin's help, we crafted a rubber stamp in the shape of a fish for Abby to play with, but stamp ink didn't sound nearly messy enough. So I headed off to the craft store where I found my new favorite craft supply, the compressed sponge. (Not sure how I didn't know about these before: flattened sponges sold in 8x11" sheets that allow you to draw and cut out whatever design you want to stamp, then you just toss the compressed sponge in water and voilà! You've got an instant paint stamping sponge.)

Armed with our rubber stamp and our fish-shaped sponge, Abby went to work stamping her letter F with fish, then drawing waves with her fingers. And then, for no particular reason, I handed her a jar of glitter and instructed her to shake. The mess that ensued was totally worth the fun she had shaking glitter and yelling "sparkles!"

When we were done, I pointed again to the letters at the bottom of the page as she sounded out each one to spell "fish." And for the rest of the day, every time she came across a short word that began with an F, she'd point to it and say "f..f...fish!" I really think she's starting to catch on to the idea that letters work together to make words.

The construction paper was soon thoroughly saturated with paint and ink and glitter, but Abby was still feeling crafty. So I rescued her sopping letter F and handed her some new paper, where she continued to draw waves and smear fish for the next 15 minutes. I need to stop underestimating the excitement of making messes on the kitchen table. It was fabulously fun and fantastically filthy.

We continued to focus on words that have the "f" sound in them for the rest of the day, and went on a letter hunt through some of her books to find the letter F. And later, while we played with her brother, I asked her if he was big or little.

"Cabey f-f-fat!" she told me. That a girl, Abby.