Today I have a letter H handprint craft and a fun preschool horse study that little learners will love. Also, I have more alphabet letter fun on my page How to Homeschool Preschool.
It may be your main topic, but you can expand and turn it into a study all about farms.
Another great idea is reviewing letters that you’ve already gone over.
For instance, if you’ve already covered P, put emphasis on P is for pig, or C is for cow along with hen, hay, and hog for H.
Too, listen to YouTube videos for prior letters but then go forward introducing another letter sound.
H is for Horse Preschool Theme and Letter H Sound
Add some of these fun books and resources for Letter H handcraft and for horse theme. Also, use a farm theme.
Margaret Wise Brown's simple, rhythmic text about the cycle of a day on a farm, where a family of animals peacefully plays and sleeps, has charmed generations of children. This board book edition features sturdy pages and is just the right size for toddlers.
As in her classic Goodnight Moon, Brown engages children and helps settle them down for sleep as they follow along with the animals from morning to night in the barnyard.
In the barnyard there are roosters and cows, horses and goats, and a pink piglet who is learning to squeal. Felicia Bond's atmospheric illustrations add to the tranquil simplicity of this gentle story.
Big Red Barn makes a lovely baby shower gift and is a wonderful addition to any preschooler's library.
Beep! Beep! Meet Blue! Filled with truck sounds and animal noises, Little Blue Truck is a rollicking homage to the power of friendship and the rewards of helping others.
A muddy country road is no match for this little pick-up—that is, until he gets stuck while pushing a dump truck out of the muck.
Luckily, Blue has made a pack of farm animal friends along his route. And they're willing to do whatever it takes to get their pal back on the road.
Little Blue Truck is a joyful cacophony of animal and truck sounds that will have youngsters beeping and quacking—and begging for one more go-round! This board book edition is perfect for little hands.
This timeless story of having your cake (and eating it, too!) comes to life with Paul Galdone's dynamic, amusing pictures. A classic storybook for all young readers--and a cautionary tale for lazy ones. Little Red Hen is a time-tested tale about how we reap what we sow.
When the Little Red Hen asks a cat, dog, and mouse for help planting some wheat, she gets no takers: "‘Not I!’ said the cat. ‘Not I!’ said the dog. ‘Not I!’ said the mouse."
They won’t water, cut, or grind the wheat... or help bake a cake with it, either. So in the end, the Little Red Hen eats the cake all by herself as well!
Paul Galdone’s delightfully detailed ink and wash illustrations—packed with charming details—add plenty of sly humor to the well-loved story that not only offers a sage message, but also shows children what it takes to make a cake from the ground up!
Goodnight Moon author Margaret Wise Brown's words are brought to beautiful life by
Caldecott Medalist Jerry Pinkney. This must-have for every child’s library is perfect for cozy wintertime readings.
"A glorious tribute to Brown's timeless classic." —Booklist (starred review)
This never-before-published picture book from beloved children’s book author Margaret Wise Brown tells the comforting, snowy story of animals seeking shelter from the cold in a big warm barn. An Indie Next List Pick!
Margaret Wise Brown's classic picture books include Goodnight Moon, The Runaway Bunny, Big Red Barn, and many more.
Jerry Pinkney was "widely acclaimed for his picture books honoring his Black heritage as well as for his richly detailed works reimagining well-loved fairy and folktales," noted Publishers Weekly. His version of The Lion & the Mouse by Aesop was awarded the Caldecott Medal, and his books also received five Caldecott Honor citations. He was recognized with two lifetime achievement awards: the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award (now known as the Children’s Literature Legacy Award) and the Coretta Scott King Virginia Hamilton Award.
Those horses didn't sleep one bit.They frolicked on the loose.They joined in games like Hide-n-Seek,Leapfrog, and Duck, Duck, Goose."So this is why you snooze all day. I thought I told you NO HORSEPLAY!"
When his stubborn horses insist on playing games all night instead of sleeping, one determined farmer wears himself out trying to change their habits.Told in clever rhyming verse throughout, Horseplay will engage parents and kids alike as they follow mischievous horses who just won't go to bed!
More How to Homeschool Preschool Letter of the Week Activities
- Alphabet Letter A is for Apple Craft for Preschool | Fun Apple Study
- Letter O is for Owl Preschool Craft | Fun Great Horned Owl Study
- Alphabet Letter H Handprint Craft For Fun Preschool Horse Study
- How To Make An Alphabet Teeth Cleaning Activity | 5 Preschool Letter T Crafts
- Alphabet Letter R is for Rainbow Craft for Preschool | Fun Rain Mobile
- Alphabet Letter M is for Monkey Handprint Preschool Fun Monkey Study
- Alphabet Letter G is for Gorilla Fun Paper Plate Preschool Mask
- W Is For Winter Craft Easy Snowman Oobleck Activity
- Letter E Is For Eagle Easy Preschool Eagle Study
- Alphabet Letter N Is For Nest Handprint & Fun Nests Preschool Craft
- B is for Bird Craft | Free Preschool Bluebird Study
- X is for X Ray Craft | Unique Crayon Resist Skeleton
Language Arts Focus Day 1
To explain the sound that H makes here is a really quick video demonstration to share.
- Letter/Sound Recognition – Build an H
You will need construction paper, a marker, and 3 popsicle sticks. Cut the ends and about 1” off each end of one popsicle stick.
Form them into an H on construction paper and trace around with a marker.
Give the paper and sticks to your child and have them form the H.
- Book – Start with Margaret Wise Brown’s Big Red Barn and see how many H words you can find.
- Craft/Activity – Make this DIY STICK HORSE TUTORIAL and your preschooler will spend the week trotting, galloping, and kicking up their heels while they learn.
- Song/Fingerplay- The Letter H Song is catchy and teaches the sound as well as a lot of H words. You will want to repeat this a few times this week-
- Snack – These horse cookies are an absolutely adorable and fairly simple way to start your H week!
Then, add in some fun science based play learning.
Science Focus Day 2
Focusing on the science of horses can be learning about what they are called as babies.
Too, explain to your preschooler what horses eat, their life cycles, or you can even take the parts of horse activity we did here at my Horse Unit Study.
Adapt it for younger children by just having them verbalize the names of the horse parts.
You could also do a simple cut and paste activity like this Life Cycle of a Horse Worksheet which can teach your child simple concepts about the science of horses.
Finally, a little bit of tech that is a great science option is Wild Kratts, this episode is focused on Powerful Wild Horses.
- Letter/Sound Recognition – Make a list together of other farm words that start with H like- harvest, hatch (baby chicks) ,hay, hen, herd, hoe hog,honey, horse, helper, horseshoe.
- Book- Another great farm themed classic book is Little Blue Truck.
- Craft/Activity – Playdough is a fantastic way to build fine motor skills and strengthen muscles which is key for pre-writers. These Horse themed playdough mats do just that.
- Song/Finger Play- This Horse Song for kids is just too fun to dance to.
- Snack- Make these tasty Haystacks that also happen to start with H for a midday break.
Also, add some math based fun.
Math Focus Day 3
Count farm animals and practice one to one correspondence, having your child point to each one as they say the number.
Add one and remove one to practice simple addition and subtraction.
- Letter/Sound Recognition – Draw uppercase and lowercase H’s on colored construction paper. Hide them around the house and let your child go on a letter hunt.
- Book – Read the classic The Little Red Hen and emphasize the H to teach your child another farm word that begins with H. Each time you find her, have your child make the H sound.
- Craft/Activity-Check out these fabulous free Farm Lacing Cards, before learning to hold a pencil, little fingers learn dexterity and gain strength through activities like this.
- Song/Fingerplay- If you don’t already know it here is a link to learn 10 Little Horses that is great for counting and exercising little fingers.
- Snack-After you teach your child that H is for Horse but also hen in keeping with the farm theme these Cute Kids Chicken Snack Bags are a great way to reinforce it.
Next, here are some history and geography ideas.
History/Geography Focus Day 4
Wild horses live on steppes and open grasslands, share pictures of these with your child.
Choose a couple unique breeds and find their origin on the map like Belgian Draft Horse or talk about the Kentucky Derby and point out Kentucky to your preschooler on your map.
- Letter/Sound Recognition- Print and put together this little book to read to your child from The Letter H Book, highlight every h to draw their eyes to it.
- Book – A H-H-H Home in The Barn is a realistically illustrated picture book that fits right on theme and gives another opportunity to search for H words while you learn about farm life.
- Craft/Activity- Make this easy printable Paper Plate Horse Craft for an inexpensive art project.
- Song/Fingerplay- Listen to the Horse Song by Blippi to learn about this beautiful and strong animal.
- Snack- H is also for HAT as in Chocolate Cowboy Hat keeping with the fun farm theme.
Language Arts Focus Day 5
- Letter/Sound Recognition – H Farm Sensory Bin
Fill a few inches in a small container with hay, you can also use popcorn kernels, or straw colored yarn,etc.
Add upper and lowercase H letter tiles and a few farm items that start with H like horse and a hen.
Have your child search for the H’s and talk about the items that start with H and the sound it makes.
- Book – Horseplay is a fun and silly book about the bedtime antics of the animals in the barn.
- Craft/Activity – Do the Letter H Handprint craft below to round out your study.
- Song/Fingerplay – End your week with a few rounds of Old MacDonald Had a Farm and don’t forget to place emphasis on the beginning sounds of horse, hog, and hen!
- Snack- On The Farm Snack Mix Not only is it delicious but they can search for horses and make the H time each time they find one to practice the sound.
Letter H Handprint Craft
You will need:
- Red, tan, and white paper
- Craft paint
- Google eyes
- A sweet little hand
- Yarn
- Glue stick
First, paint your child’s entire hand with brown craft paint or whatever color they want their horse to be.
Press their hand firmly onto the white paper upside down with the thumb sticking straight out from the hand. This will be the horse’s head and the 4 fingers will make up the legs.
Lift their hand quickly, and carefully, and allow the paint to dry.
Cut yarn into various sized small pieces.
Run a bit of glue along where the horse mane and tail would be.
Let your child add the yarn to fill it in.
Once the paint is dry let your child draw on features like ears and hooves and glue on a google eye (or two).
To make a barn cut a small house shape and two thin white strips that will fit on it to form an x.
You can also cut varying thin lengths of brown construction paper, and let your child put together a fence for the horse.
Be sure to write a large capital and lowercase Hh on the paper to help make the connection.
