Here are ideas to inspire your ‘Letter A’ alphabet box. Alphabet Boxes can be a fun part of a toy rotation, sensory exploration, and language learning. Check out the main alphabet box article for how they work.
Letter A
e.g. letters that can be felt from an alphabet puzzle, sandpaper letters, etc.
2-piece jigsaw puzzle (one side is the letter, the other is a picture of something that starts with the letter)
People starting with A
e.g., Aunt
Also, people in the child’s life that have a name starting with A (such as Anna or Alon).
Animals starting with A
e.g., alpaca, ant, antelope, albatross, alligator, armadillo, … 1, 5
Also, if you have a dog (or somebody in the child’s environment does) whose breed has an A (such as Alaskan Malamut or Australian Shepherd), you can use a photo of the dog and introduce the idea of different breeds. The same goes for other animals, e.g., pets, animals that you see frequently in your neighborhood, animals in books that are often read, or animals that your child has a special interest in.
The word animal itself also starts with a! Also, if you have an aquarium, that’s another “a” word. 5
An “a” animal body part is antlers 5.
Transportation starting with A
e.g., airplane, airport, anchor, ark, ambulance, axel …5
Plants and food starting with A
(These are often more to show/ point out under supervision or use as part of a meal, e.g. because some are small and thus a choking hazard in their natural form, or because they make a mess; but sometimes there are toy versions).
e.g., acorn, algae, almond, anise, apricot, agave, aloe, aronia, artichoke, asparagus, avocado, allspice, apple, applesauce, amaranth, aubergine, arugula… 2, 3; alphabet soup5 and similar things such as alphabet cookies
Clothes starting with A
e.g. apron, …4
Musical instruments starting with A
e.g. accordion, autoharp… 5
Body parts starting with A
e.g., arm, armpit, ankle, … 5
Things from around the house starting with A
(Not all of them are suitable/safe to be put into a box. Some are just to point out.)
e.g., album, alarm, art(work), armchair … 5
If you have a fireplace, you can also point out ash5, but obviously, that’s not for putting into the box.
Shapes starting with A
e.g. arrow, …5
Toy tools starting with A
e.g., axe, auger, anvil…5,6
Other toys
e.g., arch5, arc , …
For the arc, e.g. a rainbow stacking toy would be an example.
Other ideas
e.g., amber, atlas, … 5
Using a picture or pointing it out outside: asphalt5.
References
1 Animals that start with A https://a-z-animals.com/animals/animals-that-start-with-a/ (last checked Nov 8, 2023)
2 The Spruce. Plants A to Z. https://www.thespruce.com/plants-a-to-z-5116344 (last checked Nov 8, 2023)
3 The Food Coach. Healthy Food Database. https://www.thefoodcoach.com.au/food/?Alpha=A (last checked Nov 8, 2023)
4 Desment, L. (2022) Clothing That Starts With Each Letter: 291 Garments from A to Z https://wisforwebsite.com/clothing-that-starts-with/ (last checked Nov 8, 2023)
5 Inspire the mom. 100+ objects that start with A. https://www.inspirethemom.com/100-objects-that-start-with-a/ (last checked Nov 8, 2023)
6 Word Schools. List Of Tools That Start With A To Z – Tools Vocabulary https://wordschools.com/tools-that-start-with-a-to-z/(last checked Nov 8, 2023)