Our letter L handprint craft today focuses on the lobster and is made from adorable little hands as well as footprints. Also, look at my page How to Homeschool Preschool for more learning and playing ideas.
Too, look at my free Oceans Unit Study and Lapbook for more ideas to include your older learners in an ocean themed study.
To teach letters, start with familiar objects.
Begin by associating letters with objects that preschoolers are familiar with, such as their names, favorite toys, or animals.
This helps them make meaningful connections and understand the purpose of letters.
Use multi-sensory activities and engage preschoolers in hands-on activities that involve different senses.
This could include tracing letters with their fingers, building letters with blocks, or creating letter crafts.
Incorporate letter songs and rhymes using catchy tunes and rhymes that focus on specific letters and their sounds.
Read aloud to preschoolers- it exposes them to a variety of letters and words.
Point out letters as you read and encourage preschoolers to identify them.
Provide opportunities for preschoolers to practice letter recognition through games and activities.
Also, writing letters by tracing letters in sand, using dry-erase boards, or writing letters with markers or crayons.
There is no reason why while you’re teaching the phonics of the letter L you can’t also include a science lesson for your child and teach them all about the lobster.
I have some wonderful facts and activities to help you do just that, enjoy a general letter L lesson or teach lobster facts and expand your child’s learning experience.
PRESCHOOL LOBSTER LESSON IDEAS
Start simple with a few facts and build on as your child indicates they understand and are ready for more.
Lobsters are crustaceans, invertebrate arthropods with a hard protective exoskeleton and no backbone.
They have two large pincher claws and 8 smaller walking legs, if they lose a claw they can grow a new one back.
Lobsters live in the mud at the bottom of the ocean and dine on bottom dwellers like clams and crabs.
They can grow to be 4 feet long and 40 lbs which is slightly larger than the average 4-year-old. Take out a measuring tape and demonstrate to your child what this looks like in comparison to their own body.
Finally, a really cool factoid is that lobsters have blue blood. Other invertebrates like octopuses, spiders, snails, crabs, and horseshoe crabs also have blue blood.
If you have an adventurous eater you can try a lobster dinner for a unique dining experience that fits right in with the lesson.
One of my favorite resources for any kind of nature activities is the series by Julia Rothman and there is a lovely spread on lobsters in the Ocean Anatomy book.
For fine motor skills and practice in following directions you can build a LEGO-ish lobster creation together to put on display.
Also, look at more letter L handprint crafts.
LETTER L HANDPRINT AND MORE CRAFT IDEAS
- For starters here is a Free Uppercase L Printable that you can use in many ways throughout your letter L lessons as a template.
- Lollipops not only make a great example for the letter L but also a sweet treat to reward learning throughout the week and reinforce the sound.
- L is For Ladybug Hand Art
- Turn those cute little hands into the cutest Lion Handprint paper craft.
- A unique take on the letter but wonderful because it is an everyday item found in every home is L is for Lamp: A Letter of the Week Preschool Craft.
- Sensory bins are always a big hit with toddlers and preschoolers, learn How to Make a Letter L Sensory Bin from L objects around the house.
- How precious is this Lion Toilet Roll Craft, anything that uses basic craft items like this is always a winner in my book.
- Here I show you How to Make Fluffy Lemonade Summer Slime With Kids
- Make this Easy Lemonade Recipe For Kids as a delicious way to learn about the letter L together.
- L is for laundry. This is a great time to teach your child about the basic life skills of sorting, how to add laundry soap, and maybe even some simple folding like towels or pairing socks together.
Next, look at more ideas and crafts to help your little learners learn the letters and their sounds.
LETTERS OF THE ALPHABET CRAFTS AND THEMES
Finally, look at how to make this adorable lobster craft with precious hands and feet.
L IS FOR LOBSTER- LETTER L HANDPRINT CRAFT
You will need:
- Craft paper
- Red craft paint
- Google eyes
- Black marker for details
- A cute little foot and hand
First, begin by painting the bottom of your child’s foot red.
Press carefully onto thick paper, be sure to push gently all over their foot or have them carefully stand and put pressure to get a good impression.
You want the toes pointed downward.
Next paint both hands red
Press them down near the top of the paper above and on either side of the body like this.
Paint lines for crawling legs and to connect the body and “claws”
Set aside and allow the paint to dry completely.
Once dry, use markers to finish off the details for your lobster like drawing lines to give it a hint of a tail.
Finally, glue on googly eyes to complete it.
