See and Spell Word Practice

Fun with Letters

• What: Melissa & Doug See and Spell 
• When: 18 months to 6 years
• Why: Manipulate letters, connect pictures to words
• Where: Amazon

Have a younger sibling who wants to practice their spelling just like the big kids? Or maybe you want to encourage your preschooler to start thinking about letters and sounds. If you have a kid who loves sensory toys, and you would like to emphasize letters and reading, Melissa & Doug’s See & Spell on Amazon picture boards could be just the educational toy you want.

Each wooden box comes with eight two-sided boards. Each board has a picture along with the accompanying three or four letter word. Kids find the right lowercase letter to fit into each letter shape to spell the word. This set includes the entire alphabet of lowercase letters, with multiples of each letter so kids can complete more than one word at a time.

We started using this kit when my first child was four for a toy during his quiet time. Now I use it for my third child when his older siblings practice their spelling while we all sit stuck at home. But all three of my kids enjoy finding the letters and picking the word boards to “help” their brother while he plays.

You can also use the colorful wooden letters in a variety of other ways. Have your child spell their name, trace the letters with a pencil or a boogie drawing board, or get older kids to write the corresponding uppercase letter from the lowercase letter they choose randomly. No matter how you choose to use all the pieces, your kids will learn a lot when this set makes it fun.