Looking for a way to liven up ABC games for your preschooler? Let your devices recharge and look to your closets for supplies!

Wooden clothespins are a simple tool that you might have around the house and provide an extra challenge for the developing muscles in your child’s hand. To make an ABC game, write a letter on each clothespin you have with a marker. If you happen to have alphabet stickers, those are fun too, but just a marker will work. Then find something to attach the clothespins to - this could be a piece of cardboard, a paper plate, an index card or anything sturdy the pin will clip to. My favorite is a shoe box because then you can store the clothespins inside! Along the edge of the box, write letters to match. For kids just starting with their letters, match uppercase to uppercase. For kids who are comfortable with uppercase, have them match uppercase to lowercase. For an added challenge for older kids, have them practice spelling out simple words or the names of your family members with their clothespins (you may need double letters for this). As with all alphabet games, start simple. For a child just starting to learn the alphabet, there is no need to use all the letters. Just choose 3 or 4 that are meaningful to the child - letters in their names or that represent their favorite things. Using the clothespins is a fresh way to play with the alphabet and will give your little one the muscle strength they will need later on.

Questions or want more ideas? Email racingtoread@thelibrary.org. Have fun playing!