What can you bring for Show and Tell with the letter A? From apples and airplanes to acorns and astronauts, the letter A opens up a wonderful world of ideas for preschoolers and kindergarteners. This guide covers classroom-ready items, easy craft projects, phonics songs, and book recommendations to make letter A day a memorable one.
🎈 Show and Tell Letter A Ideas
- Apple – Red, green, or yellow. A real apple doubles as a snack demonstration. "An apple is a fruit that grows on trees. It starts with the short A sound — /æ/."
- Airplane – Toy airplane or a paper plane they folded themselves. Great for talking about travel and how things fly.
- Astronaut – A toy figure, helmet costume piece, or drawing. Sparks irresistible conversation about space, the moon, and gravity.
- Ant – A toy ant, ant farm photo, or a drawing. Ants are one of the strongest animals relative to their size — a fun fact to share.
- Avocado – Bring a real one (or a plush toy avocado). Unusual and memorable; starts a great conversation about foods from other countries.
- Acorn – Easy to find on a fall walk. "An acorn is the seed of an oak tree. Squirrels bury them so they don't forget where they are — but sometimes they forget, and a new tree grows!"
- Album – A photo album or music album. Let your child choose three photos to share and describe briefly.
- Alligator – A toy or stuffed alligator. Alligators and crocodiles are easy to mix up — your child can teach the difference!
- Arrow – A toy arrow, a drawn arrow, or an arrow-shaped object. Great for directional vocabulary and play.
- Anchor – A toy anchor or a drawing. "An anchor keeps a boat from floating away. It is very heavy and sinks to the bottom of the water."
💡 Encourage your child to say: "My letter A item is ___ because…" to build vocabulary and early public speaking confidence.
🎨 Letter A Craft Ideas
- Apple Stamp Art – Cut an apple in half horizontally to reveal a natural star shape. Dip in red paint and stamp onto paper for instant letter A art. Mount on a card that says "A is for Apple."
- Astronaut Helmet – Decorate a large paper bag to wear over the head (cut out a face hole). Add foil details and the letter A on the front. Perfect for a Show and Tell presentation costume.
- Accordion Letter Book – Fold a strip of paper accordion-style. On each panel, draw or paste a picture of an A word. Children can hold it up and fan it open during their presentation.
- Ant Colony Collage – Draw underground tunnels on brown paper and glue small black oval "ants" (made from construction paper) throughout the tunnels. Label the queen, workers, and eggs.
- Alphabet Anagram Art – Cut out the letter A from magazines or newspapers in many different fonts and sizes. Glue them all over a page to make a collage that celebrates the letter itself.
✏️ Letter A Worksheets
Reinforce letter recognition and early writing with these worksheet activities:
- Uppercase A and lowercase a tracing pages
- Color all the pictures that start with A
- Circle the letter A hidden in a grid of mixed letters
- Match the A word to its picture (apple → apple image)
- Beginning sound sort: A vs. other letters
- "I can write A" free practice lines
🎵 Letter A Songs & Videos
- Apples and Bananas – The classic camp song where all the vowel sounds change to "A." Perfect for short A phonics practice.
- The A Song by Have Fun Teaching – Upbeat, phonics-focused, and great for movement.
- A You're Adorable – A sweet vintage alphabet song that associates a positive word with every letter.
- The Alphabet Song – Always worth singing through from A — it reinforces that A is first.
▶️ Search: "Apples and Bananas song for kids" on YouTube for several child-friendly versions with animated visuals.
📚 Letter A Book Recommendations
- The Apple Pie Tree by Zoe Hall – Follows the seasons through an apple tree in the backyard. Beautiful watercolor illustrations.
- Anansi the Spider by Gerald McDermott – A West African folktale featuring the beloved spider trickster Anansi. Caldecott Honor book.
- Alphabet City by Stephen T. Johnson – Gorgeous painted photos showing alphabet letters hidden in urban architecture.
- An Anteater Named Arthur by Bernard Waber – A funny, warm story about a young anteater and his patient mother.
- Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman – A wonderful story about a girl who loves stories and playing pretend. Perfect for budding Show and Tell presenters.
🔬 STEM & Sensory Activities for Letter A
- Apple Science – Slice an apple and test whether it sinks or floats. Predict first, then test. Observe how the skin protects the inside. Let it brown and discuss oxidation in simple terms.
- Air Experiments – Blow through a straw into water to see bubbles (air is real!). Fan a piece of paper to feel air moving. Blow up a balloon and let it go — discuss thrust.
- Ant Observation – Place a piece of food (a cracker) outside and watch ants find it. Observe their trail, how they communicate, how they carry things bigger than themselves.
- Airplane Aerodynamics – Fold three different paper plane designs and test which flies the farthest. Record results. Talk about how wing shape affects flight.
- Absorption Test – Test which materials absorb water: paper towel, foil, plastic wrap, fabric, cardboard. Make a chart. Introduce the word "absorb" — another A word!
🎉 Wrap-Up
Letter A is the perfect starting point — not just because it comes first, but because it opens doors to so many wonderful words. From the crunch of an apple to the wonder of an astronaut floating in space, the letter A is already everywhere in your child's world. Help them notice it, celebrate it, and share it with pride.