Bean bags set with alphabet and numbersWays to use this resource to promote early literacy through play in your libraryThis set can provide lots of opportunities for talking, singing, reading and playing with letters, numbers and colours. Talking about what is the same and what is different about objects is the starting point for learning about written symbols.

Talk about the things that are the same and different on each of the bean bagsChildren can explore the colours and shapes, then sort into matching bean bags.Scavenger hunt: Children have fun finding objects around the room matching the corresponding bean bag colour/number/shape. Toss bean bags into a target matching colour/number/shape, e.g. coloured hoops, numbered squares.Great for indoor/outdoor play. After being thrown they stay where landed and don’t roll away like a ball.Toss an ‘alphabet salad’ with beanbags in a parachuteHave fun balancing the beanbags on different parts of your body. Talk about what you have to do to make them stay in place: “Let’s make our bodies really still so the beanbag stays on our head” or “Hold your arm out flat so we can balance the beanbag.”

Talk to parents about low cost/no cost alternatives at home

You can explore letters, shapes and numbers by:o Writing with a stick into dirt or sando Using a wet paintbrush on concreteo Creating letters, shapes and numbers

with playdough (see tip sheet)

What other ways can you use the Bean

bags set with alphabet and

numbers in your library?

What other ways can you use the Bean

bags set with alphabet and

numbers in your library?

RhymesFive Cheeky MonkeysHere is the Beehive

BooksAlphabet: I like to learn the ABC’s!Learn with Ruby Red Shoes: alphabet bookWhat Can I Be?

RhymesFive Cheeky MonkeysHere is the Beehive

BooksAlphabet: I like to learn the ABC’s!Learn with Ruby Red Shoes: alphabet bookWhat Can I Be?

Other early literacy resources you can use with the Bean bags set with alphabet and numbers

Build and play blocks set of 100Parachute playtime kitFab frogs colour pattern cardsSeagrass baskets – Set of Four. Place a colour, shape or number label onto each basket and children can toss corresponding bean bag into baskets.

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