21 Show and Tell Ideas for Letter U
Umbrellas, unicorns, and ukuleles — marvelous show and tell ideas for Letter U.
Bring an umbrella, a set of utensils, or an undershirt for Letter U show and tell. Your child can pop open the umbrella and tell a puddle story. Utensils let them name fork, spoon, and knife and show how each is held. An undershirt stretches wide and hides under clothes to keep us warm. Let them pick their favorite.
What to Bring for Letter U
Here are our top picks for show and tell objects starting with the letter U. Each one is classroom-friendly and conversation-ready!
🌙 Tonight's Top 5
Show and tell is tomorrow? Grab one of these — no store run needed.
An umbrella opens with a pop that wakes up the whole rug. Your child can open and close it slowly, name its color and pattern, and tell the class one rainy-day puddle story.
A set of kid-safe utensils is more fun than it sounds. Your child can name fork, spoon, and knife, show how each one is held, and say which tool they reach for at breakfast.
A photo from Utah is a trip to Mars on Earth. Your child can point out the giant red rock arches, explain that wind and water carved them over a very long time, and name their favorite shape in the stone.
A bowl of udon noodles is slurpy fun. Your child can lift one long noodle high, describe how thick and chewy it looks, and tell the class that udon comes from Japan.
An umpire cap brings baseball to the rug. Your child can wear it forwards or backwards, explain that umpires call balls and strikes, and lead the class in a safe-out arm motion.
“I brought an umbrella because umbrella begins with the short U sound we hear in up.”
Have your child say this line out loud three times before the big day. New to show and tell? Use our 5W1H prep checklist →Hear the letter U sound in the A–Z sound library →
👇 Tap any idea below for the words your child can say about it.
🧸 Toys & Play (3)
Looking for toys that start with U? The picks below — from a strum-along ukulele to a mysterious UFO — are all classroom-ready and easy to find at home.
01 Ukulele 📍 Toy instrument corner
A ukulele turns the rug into a concert. Your child can strum a few strings, show how small it is, and teach the class to clap along to the beat.
02 Unicycle Photo 📍 Phone
A unicycle photo always earns gasps. Your child can point out the single wheel, explain that riders pedal hard to stay balanced, and ask who in the class would dare to try one.
03 UFO Toy 📍 Toy space set
A toy UFO sparks out-of-this-world talk. Your child can spin it through the air, describe the glowing lights, and ask the class what they would pack for a trip to another planet.
🐾 Animals & Nature (7)
04 Unicorn 📍 Stuffed animal shelf
A toy unicorn brings instant magic. Your child can give it a name, point out the horn and rainbow mane, and tell the class one special power their unicorn uses to help friends.
05 Urchin Shell 📍 Beach collection
A sea urchin shell looks like a tiny spiky crown. Your child can pass it gently around, describe the bumpy texture, and share that sea urchins live on the ocean floor.
06 UFO Poster 📍 Bedroom wall / poster tube
A UFO poster launches a space mystery. Your child can point out the flying saucer, ask the class what they think might be inside, and share their own theory about visitors from space.
07 Underwater Photo 📍 Phone / ocean book
An underwater photo dives the class into the ocean. Your child can point out one fish, describe the blue water, and ask the class if they would be brave enough to swim there.
08 Universe Photo 📍 Phone / space book
A universe photo hushes the whole class with wonder. Your child can point out the swirly stars, say the word galaxy slowly, and share one thing they wonder about space.
09 Uluru Photo 📍 Phone / travel photos
A photo of Uluru carries Australia to the rug. Your child can describe the giant red rock, practice saying its name — oo-loo-roo — and share that it glows orange at sunset.
10 Umbrellabird Photo 📍 Phone / bird book
An umbrellabird photo is a true showstopper. Your child can point out the wild feather crest shaped like an umbrella, say the funny name out loud, and tell the class it lives in rainforests.
🍎 Food & Drinks (2)
11 Ugli Fruit 📍 Kitchen fruit bowl
An ugli fruit gets giggles before anyone tastes it. Your child can show the bumpy green-yellow skin, peel it to reveal juicy insides, and let the class vote on whether the funny name fits.
12 Udon Noodle★ Top 5 📍 Kitchen pantry
A bowl of udon noodles is slurpy fun. Your child can lift one long noodle high, describe how thick and chewy it looks, and tell the class that udon comes from Japan.
🏠 Around the House (5)
13 Utensils★ Top 5 📍 Kitchen drawer
A set of kid-safe utensils is more fun than it sounds. Your child can name fork, spoon, and knife, show how each one is held, and say which tool they reach for at breakfast.
14 U-shaped Magnet 📍 Fridge / science kit
A U-shaped magnet feels like a magic trick. Your child can pick up paper clips one by one, count them out loud, and explain that magnets pull metal without touching it first.
15 Utah Photo★ Top 5 📍 Family photos
A photo from Utah is a trip to Mars on Earth. Your child can point out the giant red rock arches, explain that wind and water carved them over a very long time, and name their favorite shape in the stone.
16 Uncle Photo 📍 Phone / family album
A photo of an uncle brings family to show and tell. Your child can say the uncle's name, tell one funny thing they do together, and explain what makes their uncle special.
17 Umbrella Painting 📍 Craft table
Your child can point to the colors on their umbrella painting and explain how they made the curved shape. Then they ask the class what weather calls for an umbrella: rain, snow, or sunshine.
📚 School & Books (1)
18 United States Map 📍 Wall / desk
A United States map turns your child into a tour guide. Have them point to your home state, trace one border with a finger, and name a state they dream of visiting someday.
👕 Clothes & Accessories (3)
19 Umbrella★ Top 5 📍 Entryway / closet
An umbrella opens with a pop that wakes up the whole rug. Your child can open and close it slowly, name its color and pattern, and tell the class one rainy-day puddle story.
20 Uniform 📍 Closet / dress-up
A sports uniform tells a team story. Your child can wear it proudly, point out the number, and tell the class which team they play for and their favorite part of game day.
21 Umpire Cap★ Top 5 📍 Sports bin
An umpire cap brings baseball to the rug. Your child can wear it forwards or backwards, explain that umpires call balls and strikes, and lead the class in a safe-out arm motion.
🍎 Bringing a food item? Many schools ban food or have allergy rules — check your class policy first, and see what not to bring to show and tell.
Letter U is the trickiest vowel because it has three sounds. Teach short U first with umbrella and up. Save unicorn and universe for long U day. Warn your child that urchin and urn say er, and udon and Uluru start with oo — kids who expect uh get confused fast, so name the oddballs out loud before show and tell.
Disclosure: our Hooked on Phonics review contains affiliate links — we may earn a commission.
📖 Letter U Word Corner
More Letter U words to know, say, and play with — a quick vocabulary warm-up before show and tell.
Try this at home: Play up-or-under with these word cards: hold one up and have your child say whether it names something up high or under something, acting it out each time.
Explore more: Clothes vocabulary →
Letter U Craft Ideas
Hands-on crafts that reinforce the letter U through art and creativity.
Umbrella Suncatcher
Cut an umbrella shape from wax paper and fill it with tissue-paper squares in rainbow rows, then hang it in the window. As light shines through, kids say umbrella and under while watching colors mix and glow.
Unicorn Horn Headband
Roll a paper cone, coat it in glitter glue and cotton-ball clouds, and tape it to a headband. Kids chant unicorn and unique while crafting, and the headband becomes an instant dress-up favorite.
Underwater Diorama
Flip a shoebox on its side, paint the inside blue, and glue in paper fish, seaweed streamers, and a shell. Kids build an ocean scene while saying under and underwater, and the box becomes a peek-inside treasure.
Letter U Songs
Music makes learning stick! Each card below opens a YouTube search for that Letter U song in a new tab — nothing plays on this page.
The Letter U Song
by Have Fun Teaching
Have Fun Teaching's Letter U song bounces between umbrella and unicorn on a cheerful beat kids pick up fast. Play it during cleanup and listen for little voices singing the U words unprompted.
Letter U Song
by Jack Hartmann
Jack Hartmann's Letter U song pairs the short uh sound with clapping patterns kids can follow. Circle-time ready — the movements lock in the tricky short U that many kids mumble.
Letter U Picture Books
Three well-loved read-alouds that go with the letter U — one classic, one animal or theme favorite, and one just for the fun of it.
Umbrella
by Taro Yashima
Momo waits impatiently for rain so she can use her new umbrella and red boots. It's a quiet look at anticipation, and the rain-sound text is lovely to read aloud.
Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt
by Kate Messner · illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal
A garden year is shown both above ground and below. This gentle nonfiction pick shows children the hidden life under their feet.
Uni the Unicorn
by Amy Krouse Rosenthal · illustrated by Brigette Barrager
A unicorn insists that little girls are real, a sweet reversal unicorn fans enjoy. Note: Uni and Unicorn start with a long U.
Book details (publisher and age ranges) checked on October 21, 2026.
Letter U Learning Activities
Beyond Show and Tell — here are fun, hands-on activities to reinforce the letter U all week long.
Umbrella Parade
Hand out play umbrellas and march around the room chanting u-u-umbrella in the rain. Kids open and close on cue, which builds listening skills and makes the short U unforgettable.
Up and Under
Call out up or under and have kids pop tall or crouch low beneath their chairs. Add unicorn and umbrella bonus rounds — giggles follow fast while the U sound gets tons of reps.
Unicorn Horn Toss
Stand a cone upright and let kids toss soft rings to land on the unicorn's horn, cheering u-n-i-corn with every throw. They practice aiming and turn-taking while the letter U gets shouted all game long.
Letter U STEM Activities
Simple science and building play that sneaks in letter U practice.
Umbrella Rain Test
Hold paper towel, foil, and wax paper over cups and drip water on each like rain. Kids predict which keeps the cup dry, then test — learning waterproof, absorb, and observe hands-on.
Upward Ramp Roll
Prop a board into a ramp and roll cars up it, raising the ramp higher each round. Kids predict, then observe that steeper ramps need bigger pushes — early ideas about force and slope.
Free Letter U Printable Worksheets
Open an umbrella and you've found the anchor here: U is for umbrella. In this six-page pack, kids trace the big and little U, write the letter on trace-and-write handwriting rows, then read nine words aloud and circle the ones that begin with U. Umbrella, ukulele, and unicorn are three of the nine. Rounding out the set: an I Spy letter hunt, a color-the-letter page, and a draw-and-label page. Try the Short U Sound track first.
This free pack includes:
- ✏️ Uppercase & lowercase letter tracing
- 🖊️ Handwriting practice lines
- 🎯 Beginning sounds word hunt (circle the matches)
- 🔍 "I spy the letter U" worksheet
- 🎨 Color-the-letter page
- 🖼️ Draw & label page
🔒 Free forever — no email or account required
This pack is just letter U. Want all 26 letters? Get the complete A–Z pack →
Show and Tell Letter U — FAQ
Quick answers for parents and teachers preparing for show and tell day.
What are the best show and tell items for the letter U?
An umbrella is the U classic — open it with a flourish for instant drama. A unicorn toy plus the question 'Do you think they are real?' sparks the best debate. A ukulele lets your child strum one chord, and a U-shaped magnet sticks to the whiteboard like magic. An urchin shell's spikes fascinate careful fingers.
What should my child say during show and tell for the letter U?
'This is my umbrella. Umbrella starts with the short U sound — uh, umbrella. It keeps me dry in the rain.' Short U is the relaxed grunt 'uh,' like lifting something heavy. Have your child pretend to lift the umbrella like a weight: 'uh!' Then the word: 'uh-mbrella.' The grunt makes the sound unforgettable.
How do I explain short U vs long U for show and tell?
Short U says 'uh' as in umbrella, up, and utensils. Long U says its name, 'you,' as in unicorn, ukulele, and universe. Sort them: umbrella and utensils on the 'uh' side, unicorn and ukulele on the 'you' side. The grunt versus the name — 'uh' versus 'you' — and the class will sort faster than you expect.
Any no-prep letter U ideas for tomorrow morning?
An umbrella from the closet is instant — the bigger and more colorful, the better. Utensils from the kitchen drawer, an unusual rock from outside, or an undershirt decorated with fabric markers all work. The unusual rock is a hidden gem: have your child explain exactly what makes it unusual.
What is the funniest letter U show and tell demo?
Open the umbrella indoors — they say it is bad luck, so let's test it! Your child opens it with a flourish, looks around dramatically... nothing happens, and the class roars. It starts with U, it is a mini myth-busting experiment, and it takes ten seconds. Just check with the teacher first — some classrooms are small.
What are good toys that start with U for show and tell?
A ukulele is the star — your child can strum one chord and let the class clap along. A UFO toy sparks imagination; your child can tell a short story about where their UFO is flying. A unicycle photo works too — your child explains how riders balance on one wheel. All three are easy to find and give the class something fun to see.
What household items begin with U for show and tell?
U hides in the kitchen drawer: utensils — a spoon or spatula your child uses at breakfast. The umbrella by the front door is the big one; your child can open it indoors for a laugh (and a quick chat about the old superstition). A U-shaped magnet from the fridge sticks to the whiteboard and proves the letter's shape.
What objects start with U for show and tell?
For objects with a story, try a ukulele your child can strum once, an urchin shell found on a beach trip (fascinating spikes, no live animal), or a UFO toy for space fans. An umpire cap from a family baseball game and an ugli fruit — the wrinkly citrus most kids have never seen — both give your child something new to explain.
Last updated: October 2026