X is for X Ray craft and this is a wonderful way to introduce a doctor’s office, doctors, hospitals and other workers in the medical field. Also, I have more alphabet letter fun on my page How to Homeschool Preschool.
And introduce your preschooler to concepts like X-rays and what to expect if they ever need one.
It lends itself nicely to many subjects and subtopics to create a rich and well-balanced unit for preschoolers.
I have found that many children already begin preschool lessons identifying this letter right off the bat from X marks the spot in books and TV shows.
So, your focus can just be heavy on the fun theme and more of a review of the letter itself.
There are no shortage of ideas around the x-ray theme and you can keep it simple or expand on it as much as you like.
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
I try not to incorporate much writing in preschool.
But in my opinion, as x is so easily identifiable by young children it becomes a somewhat easy one to recreate.
Let your child practice making Xs with crayons on scrap paper.
Letter/Sound Recognition- X is a fun one because it is so easy to make and can be practiced with any kind of lines, even your arms.
Practice making Xs with your arms and repeating the sound it makes together.
Book- X-Ray Me! Is a cute board book showing a wonderful example of X-rays, inside the human body.
It helps create a simple connection between concepts like the skull and skeleton.
Craft/Activity- This Preschool Alphabet X-Ray Game is just darling! I was so excited when I found it for you.
It goes along perfectly with our theme and can be used as a learning tool as well as part of their dramatic play (which is still good for social-emotional learning)
Song/Fingerplay- Do You Know The X-Ray Man? (Tune of Do you know the muffin man?)
Snack- Ease into your unit and use whatever stick-shaped snack foods you have on hand to practice making X’s .
And enjoy them as a treat. Use pretzel sticks, carrot or celery sticks, breadsticks, line raisins up in an X shape, cut-out strips of tortillas and have them create X’s. No need for special ingredients.
Science Focus Day 2
X is for x-ray is the perfect setup for an all-about-my-body study.
Children are fascinated with skeletons and the fact that they are inside their skin giving everything its shape and protecting more delicate organs.
Letter/Sound Recognition- Create Touch & Feel Letter X for your child to practice. Too, use it as a review of letters he is already familiar with.
Add to it as you cover each letter in the alphabet and you will have a full set in no time.
This type of multi-sensory activity is phenomenal for letter recognition.
Book- Andy’s X-Ray talks about what happens when a bone breaks, who takes care of it, and how it is taken care of.
Craft/Activity- Grab an empty roll from recycling and create this Toilet Paper Roll X-Ray Fish Craft.
Song/Fingerplay- I like to throw in a Jack Hartmann Letter X song every time because it is just good stuff for learning letter sounds, recognition, and teaching words that begin with the letter.
His songs are always danceable, catchy, and repetitive fun.
Snack- Here are ideas for 5 snacks that start with the letter x to choose from.
Math Focus Day 3
What is your preschooler learning for math? Recognizing and applying numbers? Basic addition and subtraction? More or fewer? Start there with simple activities and build on those skills as they learn.
Letter/Sound Recognition- This X is for X-Ray activity is low prep but high impact and reuses items that we are using for other activities in a different way so you get the most bang for your buck and time.
Book- Check out X is for X-Ray Fish that will give your child a whole new look on x-ray images and a few other words that start with X.
Craft/Activity- X-Ray Math.
For this activity, you only need a black sheet of construction paper, a white crayon, a handful of cotton swabs, and a couple of dice.
Make a + and = sign on one side and a – and = sign on the other with a white crayon leaving plenty of space for cotton swabs.
Have your child roll two dice and work on one side at a time using the cotton swab bones as counters/manipulatives.
Song/Fingerplay- Where is X ? (Tune of Thumbkin)
Where is X? Where is X?
Here I am. Here I am. (make an x with pointer fingers)
How are you today, sir? Very well, I thank you. (wiggle fingers)
Run away. Run away. (hide fingers behind the back)
Snack- Reinforce learning about different X sounds with this How to Make a Musical Xylophone Snack in Five Minutes! Not only is it cute but healthy too.
History/Geography Focus Day 4
For social studies learn about doctors, nurses, and even specialists like surgeons and x-ray technicians.
Grab a set of these true-life X-rays for dramatic play and learning.
Letter/Sound Recognition- Make an X-ray with those sweet tiny hands and forearms painted white and demonstrate the shape uniquely.
Book- Going To The Doctor is a great opportunity to talk about the real-world experience of visiting a doctor and what to expect.
Even though at this age your child is familiar with doctor visits you can go a little more in-depth about what happens there, what tools they use (including an x-ray machine), and the names of the different people there- receptionist, doctor, nurse, etc.
Craft/Activity-Put together the items for this easy peasy X-Ray Playdough to teach simple bones and where they are located in the body.
Song/Fingerplay- The Be a Doctor Song is just right for today’s focus on doctors and is fun to move to.
Snack- Here is a Berenstain Bears Go to The Doctor Unit Study Snack plus a whole list of more fun doctor-themed snack ideas that you could use to fit perfectly in with the theme
X is for X Ray Craft Books & Resources for Preschoolers
Have fun with your preschool theme X is for x-ray and grab some of these resources.
Hold these life-size human x-rays up to the light or use them on a light table (sold separately) and see details of a real skeleton. Arrange them together to reproduce the entire body of a 5' Adult.
“X-ray” the inside of your body from head to toe with this irresistible, interactive, large-format board book!
Two die-cut handles allow readers to hold the book up to their bodies and visualize various body parts and organs—including bones, the brain, lungs, heart, and many more. This unique book is perfect for sharing with friends and sharing in the classroom!
The bright, bold illustrations are clearly labeled and offer an introduction to the way the body works. The unique format encourages interaction, both in the classroom and at home. A great choice for learning together. X-Ray Me! features ten images of what’s inside your body and includes basic information about organs, systems, and your skeleton.
Find out what happens when Andy isn’t careful whilst cycling and ends up in the hospital with a broken leg. Andy’s X-ray is a book in a series of children’s books designed to make medical procedures less frightening by presenting them through enjoyable stories with brightly colored illustrations. The evolving series covers common medical procedures from minor ones like blood tests to serious ones such as major surgery and chemotherapy. Inspiration to write it came from my own experience with a sick young child and being unable to find anything to help make the procedures less daunting or answer all the “how” and “why” questions. Happily, after two surgeries and a year in and out of hospital, my daughter is now in remission.I hope these books can help many children and their families all over the world.
Introduce your little one to the exciting lives of x-ray fishes! This gorgeously illustrated children’s book teaches kids x-ray fish-related first words beginning with the letter X.Explore with x-ray fishes! The friendly, read-aloud text and exciting illustrations will capture the attention of young nature-lovers in no time. Babies and toddlers will love learning new words about x-ray fishes while practicing their X letter sound. This baby book is ideal for promoting early learning and language development.X is for xylophone! Did you know that x-ray fishes live in rivers in South America? Packed with bright pictures and short text, this engaging animal book provides curious kids with lots to talk about and look at!
A simple and effective approach to preparing your child for a visit to the doctor Going to the doctor can be stressful for anyone – especially young children
who don’t know what to expect. Help your little one learn what they’ll actually see, hear, and experience with Going to the Doctor, a Toddler Prep Book featuring actual photos and simple, easy-to-understand language.
Join the Cat in the Hat, Sally and Dick for a ride through the human body where they visit the right and left sides of the brain, meet the Feletons from far off Fadin (when they stand in the sun you can see through their skin), scuba dive through the blood system, follow food and water through the digestive tract, and a whole lot more! Perfect for readers who are curious about the body and for any kid who loves learning and science.Featuring beloved characters from Dr. Seuss's The Cat in the Hat, the Learning Library are unjacketed hardcover picture books that explore a range of nonfiction topics about the world we live in and include an index, glossary, and suggestions for further reading.
Language Arts Focus Day 5
Today’s craft incorporates a surprise reveal of an x-ray as well as the letter X, naturally building letter recognition into a nifty activity.
Letter/Sound Recognition- Create a very easy x-ray-themed letter writing tray by placing a piece of white paper in the bottom of a shallow container.
Cover with a very thin layer of black sand or dyed rice, or I used these tiny little black aquarium pebbles for the child to run their finger through to practice.
Book- Classic Dr. Seuss, Inside Your Outside and learn all about the insides and outsides bout the amazing human body.
Craft/Activity- Crayon Resist Skeleton- See Below for instructions
Song/Fingerplay- This version of the Letter X Song is definitely a dance-worthy song and teaches X is a consonant, the sound, and lots of words that make the x sound, in the beginning, middle, and ending sound.
While this is a trickier concept to teach it doesn’t hurt to introduce it to your child.
Snack-What an adorable way to finish off your unit and (possibly) get your child to eat their veggies.
Look at this X Is for X-citing X-ray Skeleton made of fresh sliced veggies.
X is for X Ray Craft Crayon Resist Skeleton
You will need:
- Cardstock/watercolor paper
- White crayon
- Black watercolor paint
- Paintbrush
- A cup of water
First, use a white crayon to draw a simple skeleton shape on a piece of white paper. If it helps you can very lightly trace one first with a pencil.
Make an upper and lowercase x in the corner as well to reinforce the letter knowledge.
Next. set your child up with watercolor paint, a paintbrush, and a clean cup of water.
Have your child cover the entire page in black watercolor to create a look like that of an x-ray.
Allow it to dry.
