Patriotic Find and Cover Alphabet Game for Preschoolers

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This FREE Patriotic Find and Cover Alphabet Game is excellent for identifying the beginning letter sound of each letter sound picture card and letter recognition, practicing phonics and fine motor skills, and learning new vocabulary.

This game includes a letter mat in two sizes (half-page and full-page) and eighteen patriotic picture cards. It is free to my subscribers, and you can get it at the end of this post.

Patriotic Find and Cover Alphabet Game

While using this Patriotic Find and Cover Game, students will review and reinforce letter sounds.

This alphabet game is engaging and very easy to play. Children will select one patriotic picture card, say the name of the picture in it, and determine which sound is at the beginning of the word illustrated on the card.

Once they recognize the beginning sound on the picture card, they will look for that letter on the flag mat, and finally, they will cover the letter using a manipulative or a dry-erase marker.

Setting Up the Game

This find-and-cover game is super easy to prep. You will only need a handful of materials, which are:

Patriotic Find and Cover Game (found at the end of this post).
Printer.
White cardstock.
Laminator and laminating sheets.
Scissors.
Dry-erase markers or small manipulatives like patriotic buttons, small erasers, pom-poms, gems, or bingo chips.

You only need to print the mats and letter-sound picture cards on white cardstock, cut them out, and laminate them for durability. Then, you can use the game again and again.

I recommend printing out multiple copies and placing them in different centers. That way, you will encourage more preschoolers to use them when they rotate to the other centers, such as small group tables, the Literacy Center, the Writing Center, or the Quiet Area, or even use them as a take-home activity.

You can also create different small group centers combining this game with my other related activities, which can be found HERE. They all come with free printables.

Extension Activities

To extend the activity, preschoolers can:

Use foam, wooden, or magnetic letters to match the beginning sound of each picture to the correct letter.
Find other words that start with the same beginning sound.
Find words that rhyme with the words represented on the picture cards.
Try to write the word using pencils, crayons, or markers.
Write the beginning letters on white paper.

Patriotic Books for Preschool

Below are some books you can use during the 4^th of July month. You can find these books at your local library or used book store. If you want to add some to your collection, click on the titles, and my affiliate links will bring you directly to Amazon for a fast purchase.

The Night Before the Fourth of July by Nathasha Wing captures the fun, excitement, and pride of the best summer holiday. All across the United States, people are getting ready for hot dogs and fireworks. Decked in red, white, and blue, a family heads to a parade, hosts a backyard BBQ with friends and family, dodges an afternoon thundershower, and watches a fireworks show.

The Story of America’s Birthday by Patricia A. Pingry. This story has vibrant illustrations paired with the text that help to create the connection between the story of the Declaration of Independence, the American Revolution, and today’s Fourth of July festivities. This book introduces children to the history and meaning behind Independence Day.

F is for Flag by Wendy Ceyette Lewison shows how one flag can mean many things: a symbol of unity, a sign of welcome, and a reminder that in good times in our country, we are all part of one great big family.

Curious George Parade Day here’s nothing like waiting for something special and magical to happen. Today, George is waiting for a parade to start! But this little monkey finds and makes plenty of mischief before it does.

It’s Not About You, Mrs. Firecracker: A Love Letter About the True Meaning of the Fourth of July by Soraya Diasse Collell. This wonderfully illustrated children’s book explains what brave Americans did to declare their freedom and equality and identifies who was the source of guidance through it all.

Daniel’s First Fireworks by Daniel Tiger Neighborhood. This sweet storybook is about a first experience that will surely be a hit with Daniel Tiger fans!

Hello, Fourth of July by best-selling author-illustrator Martha Day Zschock. Parent and child eagles celebrate America’s birthday in this board book for children. The pair spend the day surrounded by red, white, and blue.

America the Beautiful by Cholena Rose Dare is a gorgeous non-fiction book that presents maps of official landmarks, national parks, state birds and flowers, and more. It also allows learning about American artists, innovations, and food that are part of the American culture. A great way to present our preschoolers’ facts about our country.

Pin It For Later

If you are in a rush and don’t have time to read the post and download the printable but want to save it, pin this to your Math or Patriotic board on Pinterest for later.