20 Show and Tell Ideas for Letter W
Whales, wagons, and watermelon — wonderful show and tell ideas for Letter W.
Bring a watch, a watermelon slice, or a whistle for Letter W show and tell. Your child can point to the numbers on the watch and tell the time. A watermelon slice invites counting seeds and a seeds or seedless vote. A whistle gives one short tweet before a freeze game. Let them pick their favorite.
What to Bring for Letter W
Here are our top picks for show and tell objects starting with the letter W. 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.
A real wristwatch makes your child feel grown-up. Have them point to the numbers, tell the class what time it is right now, and explain what the big and little hands do.
A watermelon slice is summer on a plate. Your child can count the seeds, describe the juicy red inside and striped green outside, and let the class vote — seeds or seedless?
A whistle commands the room — in a good way. Your child can blow one short tweet, explain that coaches and lifeguards use whistles to gather attention, and lead a freeze game.
A woven basket shows real handiwork. Your child can point out the over-under pattern, fill it with W toys from around the room, and explain what baskets are made to carry.
A waffle is a grid you can eat. Your child can count the little squares, name their favorite topping, and explain how the hot waffle iron stamps the pattern while it cooks.
“I brought a watch because watch begins with the letter W sound — just like water.”
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 W sound in the A–Z sound library →
👇 Tap any idea below for the words your child can say about it.
🧸 Toys & Play (5)
Looking for toys that start with W? The picks below — from a magic wand to a howling wolf — are all classroom-ready and easy to find at home.
01 Wagon 📍 Garage / backyard
A toy wagon invites hauling adventures. Your child can load it with blocks, pull it around the rug, and announce what their wagon is delivering today — toys, treasure, or teddy bears.
02 Whistle★ Top 5 📍 Sports bin / party box
A whistle commands the room — in a good way. Your child can blow one short tweet, explain that coaches and lifeguards use whistles to gather attention, and lead a freeze game.
03 Wand 📍 Dress-up box
A magic wand makes every child a magician. Your child can wave it, say a spell word that starts with W, and pretend to turn a classroom object sparkling gold.
04 Wrench Toy 📍 Toy tool set
A toy wrench makes your child the class fixer. Have them tighten an imaginary bolt, explain that wrenches grip and turn, and offer to check one wobbly classroom chair.
05 Wolf Toy 📍 Stuffed animal shelf
A wolf toy brings storybook drama. Your child can give a friendly howl, share that real wolves live in packs and howl to talk to each other, and name a wolf from a favorite story.
🐾 Animals & Nature (5)
06 Whale 📍 Stuffed animal / bath toy
A toy whale carries the whole ocean with it. Your child can show the spout on top, make a deep whooshing sound, and share that blue whales are the biggest animals that have ever lived.
07 Worm 📍 Garden after rain
A toy worm — or a brave real one in a cup of soil — fascinates every kid. Your child can show the wiggle, explain that worms help gardens grow, and let friends watch it move.
08 Wishbone 📍 Kitchen after chicken
A dried wishbone is pure playground magic. Your child can explain the two-person pull tradition, make a wish with a friend, and tell the class who won the bigger half.
09 Waterlily Photo 📍 Phone / pond
A waterlily photo is calm and gorgeous. Your child can point out the floating leaves, share that frogs love to sit on them, and describe the pink flower in the middle.
10 Woodpecker Photo 📍 Phone / bird book
A woodpecker photo brings rat-a-tat-tat to the rug. Your child can knock on the table like a beak on bark, explain that woodpeckers hunt bugs inside trees, and point out the red head feathers.
🍎 Food & Drinks (3)
11 Watermelon★ Top 5 📍 Kitchen fridge
A watermelon slice is summer on a plate. Your child can count the seeds, describe the juicy red inside and striped green outside, and let the class vote — seeds or seedless?
12 Waffle★ Top 5 📍 Kitchen
A waffle is a grid you can eat. Your child can count the little squares, name their favorite topping, and explain how the hot waffle iron stamps the pattern while it cooks.
13 Wheat Stalk 📍 Craft / fall decoration
A dried wheat stalk connects straight to breakfast. Your child can touch the scratchy grains, explain that wheat becomes bread and cereal, and name one wheat food they ate this week.
🏠 Around the House (5)
14 Windmill 📍 Building toy set / garden
A toy windmill spins with the tiniest puff. Your child can blow gently and then harder, watch it whirl faster, and explain that giant real windmills catch wind to make power.
15 Watering Can 📍 Garden shed / patio
A small watering can turns your child into the class gardener. Have them pretend to water the plants, make soft shhh sounds like rain, and name what plants drink to grow.
16 Wind Chime 📍 Porch / patio
A wind chime brings gentle music indoors. Your child can tap it softly, let the class close their eyes and listen, and explain that outside, the wind does the playing.
17 Wreath 📍 Front door / holiday box
A small wreath is round and festive. Your child can hang it up, name the colors and decorations on it, and tell the class which celebration their family hangs wreaths for.
18 Woven Basket★ Top 5 📍 Pantry / closet
A woven basket shows real handiwork. Your child can point out the over-under pattern, fill it with W toys from around the room, and explain what baskets are made to carry.
📚 School & Books (1)
19 Wax Crayon 📍 Art supplies
A fat wax crayon is a working tool, not just a supply. Your child can draw a giant W, name the color out loud, and tell the class their favorite thing to color with it.
👕 Clothes & Accessories (1)
20 Watch★ Top 5 📍 Dresser / wrist
A real wristwatch makes your child feel grown-up. Have them point to the numbers, tell the class what time it is right now, and explain what the big and little hands do.
🍎 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.
Here is your secret weapon: the letter is called double-u, and kids light up when they learn why — it looks like two U's stuck together. Use it as your hook, then point out that whale, whistle, and wheat start with WH but still say w. If your child spells the sound wuh, celebrate — that means their ears are working.
Disclosure: our Hooked on Phonics review contains affiliate links — we may earn a commission.
📖 Letter W Word Corner
More Letter W words to know, say, and play with — a quick vocabulary warm-up before show and tell.
Try this at home: Take these words on a walk and spot each one in real life — a window, the wind in the trees — whisper-shouting each W word when you find it.
Explore more: Describing Words vocabulary · Shapes & Colors vocabulary →
Letter W Craft Ideas
Hands-on crafts that reinforce the letter W through art and creativity.
Watermelon Slice Fan
Cut a paper plate into a half circle, paint it red with a green rind and black seed dots, and glue on a popsicle stick. Kids say watermelon and W while making a fan that actually cools them on hot days.
Whale Spout Hat
Staple a blue paper headband, glue on a paper whale, and add cotton-ball spout puffs on top. Kids chant whale and water while crafting, and the hat turns its maker into the star of ocean week.
Woven Paper Basket
Weave colored paper strips over and under to build a tiny basket, then fill it with paper W words. The weaving builds fine-motor control, and kids sort their W words by beginning sound.
Letter W Songs
Music makes learning stick! Our own Letter W sing-along plays right here — the lyrics are below so you can sing together. The other picks open a YouTube search in a new tab.
Wagon Ride with a Whale
Show and Tell Letter original · AI-generated
A 93-second sing-along for the letter W sound: a sweet watermelon, a ride in a wagon, and a big whale waving in the blue. Kids round their lips for every /w/ and trace a zig-zag W in the air during the bridge.
Download MP3Lyrics
Let's wiggle and wave with the letter W!
W is for /w/ /w/ /w/ /w/ /w/,
The wonderful letter, yes, it's true!
Round your lips and say it with me,
/w/ /w/ /w/, as happy as can be!
I have a watermelon, sweet and green,
/w/ /w/ watermelon, the best I've seen!
Hop in my wagon, let's go play,
/w/ /w/ wagon, have a sunny day!
Look at the whale, big in the blue,
/w/ /w/ whale, how do you do?
Wave your hand, give a big hello,
/w/ /w/ wave, watch the W grow!
W is for /w/ /w/ /w/ /w/ /w/,
The wonderful letter, yes, it's true!
Round your lips and say it with me,
/w/ /w/ /w/, as happy as can be!
Zig-zag down and zig-zag up,
It's a mountain, it's a cup!
Big W, small w,
Drawing it is easy, yes, it's true!
W is for /w/ /w/ /w/ /w/ /w/,
The wonderful letter, yes, it's true!
Round your lips and say it with me,
/w/ /w/ /w/, as happy as can be!
/w/ /w/ /w/... WOW!
AI-generated song. Lyrics on this page match the audio.
The Letter W Song
by Have Fun Teaching
Have Fun Teaching's Letter W song splashes through whale, watch, and watermelon on a bouncy rhythm kids can't resist. Play it during transitions and the whole line starts singing the W words.
Letter W Song
by Jack Hartmann
Jack Hartmann's Letter W song turns the w into a windy blow kids shape with rounded lips. It doubles as a speech warm-up, because forming the W correctly takes real mouth muscle.
Letter W Picture Books
Three well-loved read-alouds that go with the letter W — one classic, one animal or theme favorite, and one just for the fun of it.
Where the Wild Things Are
by Maurice Sendak
Max sails away to rule the wild things, then comes home to a warm supper. It's a landmark story about anger and imagination.
We're Going on a Bear Hunt
by Michael Rosen · illustrated by Helen Oxenbury
A family wades through grass, mud and snow on a bear hunt. The chant and sound words practically demand hand motions and group acting.
Whistle for Willie
by Ezra Jack Keats
Peter practices and practices until he can finally whistle for his dog. Children working on their own small skills will understand the triumph.
Book details (publisher and age ranges) checked on October 21, 2026.
Letter W Learning Activities
Beyond Show and Tell — here are fun, hands-on activities to reinforce the letter W all week long.
Whale Spout Splash
Fill a bin with water and let kids squeeze sponges like whale spouts over toy sea animals. They say whale, take turns kindly, and learn that spouts are how whales breathe out.
Wagon Parade
Line up toy wagons and parade them around the room loaded with blocks, chanting w-w-wagon. The parade practices pulling, sharing the road, and saying the W with every lap.
Wishbone Wishes
Dry a wishbone, then let pairs pull it together after silently making a wish. The bigger half wins, and everyone says wishbone while learning that wishing is hopeful thinking.
Letter W STEM Activities
Simple science and building play that sneaks in letter W practice.
Windmill Power Test
Build paper pinwheel windmills and test them with gentle breaths versus fan wind. Kids count spins, compare big and small blades, and discover more wind means more motion.
Watermelon Sink or Float
Lower a small watermelon, a wooden spoon, and a metal spoon into a tub of water — predicting each result first. Kids observe that the heavy watermelon floats while the metal spoon sinks, and learn that material and trapped air matter more than size.
Free Letter W Printable Worksheets
Whale, wagon, and watermelon make a big, bold trio, and they're all on the page where kids read nine words aloud and circle the ones that start with the W sound. W is for whale, the anchor of this six-page pack. There's also tracing the big and little W, trace-and-write handwriting practice, an I Spy letter hunt, a color-the-letter page, and a draw-and-label page to finish. Let the W Sound track play before you start.
This free pack includes:
- ✏️ Uppercase & lowercase letter tracing
- 🖊️ Handwriting practice lines
- 🎯 Beginning sounds word hunt (circle the matches)
- 🔍 "I spy the letter W" worksheet
- 🎨 Color-the-letter page
- 🖼️ Draw & label page
🔒 Free forever — no email or account required
This pack is just letter W. Want all 26 letters? Get the complete A–Z pack →
Show and Tell Letter W — FAQ
Quick answers for parents and teachers preparing for show and tell day.
What are the best show and tell items for the letter W?
A whale toy wins hearts — 'the biggest animal that ever lived' always gets a gasp. A wristwatch with a second hand lets the class count down together. A small windmill or pinwheel spins with one puff. A wishbone sparks the best discussion: who gets the bigger half? Wax crayons for a rainbow W drawing close the show.
What should my child say during show and tell for the letter W?
'This is my whale. Whale starts with W, and W says www — round your lips like blowing out a candle. Whales are mammals, so they breathe air like us.' The candle trick locks in the www sound. Then the wow fact: 'A blue whale's heart is as big as a car.' End with the question: 'Would you swim with one?'
How do I explain W vs WH for show and tell?
Old-school teachers say WH starts with a puff of air — 'whale' begins with a tiny 'hw' breath, plain W doesn't. Have your child hold a tissue: 'whale' makes it flutter, 'watch' barely moves it. Whale, wheel, and whistle go on the breathy side; watch, wagon, and walnut on the calm side. A tissue turns phonics into science.
Any no-prep letter W ideas for tomorrow morning?
Your wristwatch is the classic — let the class hear it tick and guess the time. A waffle from the freezer plus the question 'breakfast or dessert?' A wax crayon and five minutes to draw the biggest W rainbow. A wooden spoon becomes a wand with 'wave it and make a wish.' Four ideas, all already in your house.
What's a fun interactive W demo that isn't messy?
The pinwheel windmill is unbeatable: who can spin it the longest with one breath? The class cheers, nobody touches anything sticky. A whistle concert works too — your child plays short-short-long while classmates guess the pattern. Or the wishbone pull with a friend: winner gets to make a wish. All W, all joy, zero cleanup.
What are good toys that start with W for show and tell?
A magic wand is pure show and tell gold — your child can 'cast' a spell and let the class guess what it does. A whistle gets attention fast; one short blow, then your child explains when whistles are used. A wolf toy suits animal fans who want something cuddly to hold. All three are easy to find and give the class something fun to watch.
What objects start with W for show and tell?
Everyday W objects are easy to find: a wagon your child can pull across the classroom floor, a whistle for one short toot, and a watering can from the garden. A wand turns any sentence into a magic trick, and a wreath from the front door brings a piece of home — your child can explain who made it and when it goes up.
What are good presents that begin with W for show and tell?
The best W presents double as next week's show and tell: a toy wagon to pull toys around, a whale toy for bath-time stories, or a wind chime that sings on the porch. A woven basket for treasures and a set of wax crayons are gifts kids actually use — and each one gives them something personal to describe in class.
Last updated: October 2026