Alphabet Box Letter I: Ideas of things starting with I

Here are ideas to inspire your ‘Letter I’ 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 I

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 I

e.g., in-laws, …

Also, people in the child’s life that have a name starting with I (such as Iain or Ida).

Animals starting with I

e.g., ibex, iguana, inchworm, impala, insect, ibis, … ^{1, 5}

Also, if you have a dog (or somebody in the child’s environment does) whose breed has an I (such as an Icelandic Sheepdog or Irish Setter¹), 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.

Transportation starting with I

e.g., ignition …^{6, 10}

Plants and food starting with I

(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., ivy, iceberg lettuce, Inca berries, ice cream, iced tea, icing, instant anything (e.g., instant oatmeal), food that has country names starting with I in it (e.g., Indian curry, Israeli Falafel, Italian bread), …^{2,3,5, 10}

There are also varieties of fruit or vegetables that can be used, e.g. Idared is an apple variety, and Idaho potatoes⁵ are a potato variety that start with I.

Ingredient is a food-related word starting with I⁵.

Clothes starting with I

e.g., in-line skates, ice skates, insoles, …^{4, 5}

Toy tools starting with I

e.g., icebreaker, icepick, iron bar, …^{6, 10}

Musical instruments starting with I

e.g., instrument⁵

Body parts starting with I

e.g., incisor, index finger, iris, immune system, intestine, … ⁵

Things from around the house starting with I

(Not all of them are suitable/safe to be put into a box. Some are just to point out.)

e.g., ice anything (e.g. icecubes and icecube tray), illustrations, inhaler, instant pot, ink, insulation, internet, iron and ironing board, iPad/iPhone, infant anything, invitation, ink pen, index, image, … ^{5, 10, 6}

If a family member has diabetes and needs injections, insulin is another word with i.¹⁰

Colors starting with I

e.g., indigo, ivory, …⁸

Other ideas for I

e.g., igloo, ^{5, 10} …

Using a picture or pointing it out outside: e.g., in, island, isle, iceberg, icicles, inlet, …^{5, 6, 8, 10}.

If you have a world map on display: Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, and Italy are countries starting with I¹⁰.

Coming back from the walk – Indoor and inside are other I words.¹⁰

References
1 Animals that start with I https://a-z-animals.com/animals/animals-that-start-with-i/ (last checked Jan 12, 2024)
2 The Spruce. Plants A to Z. https://www.thespruce.com/plants-a-to-z-5116344 (last checked Jan 12, 2024)
3 The Food Coach. Healthy Food Database. https://www.thefoodcoach.com.au/food/?Alpha=I(last checked Jan 12, 2024)
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 Jan 12, 2024)
5 Inspire the mom. 100+ objects that start with I. https://www.inspirethemom.com/100-objects-that-start-with-i/ (last checked Jan 12, 2024)
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 Jan 12, 2024)
8 Colors starting with I https://colorful.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_colors_starting_with_I (last checked Jan 12, 2024)
10 Osmo. List of I words for kids https://www.playosmo.com/kids-learning/i-words-for-kids/ (last checked Jan 12, 2024)