Is your child showing signs of reading readiness? Awesome. That’s such a big step. Letter learning is a very important aspect of the reading process. And teaching your kids to read before starting kindergarten will give them a leg up on their first day and beyond. For that reason, we’ve rounded up a collection of letter J crafts to help promote literacy and facilitate imaginative play through art. If you like these, be sure to check out our other letter craft pages too. So far, we’ve got resources for the letters A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, and I (and adding more each week).
Some other ways to foster a language-rich home: point out street signs and store logos, draw letters in the dirt with sticks, turn the captions on while watching TV, listen to audiobooks in the car, form letters with play dough, let your child see you reading, spend a few minutes reading together before bed. These are just a handful of ways to show the importance of strong reading skills and encourage a love of reading early on. Best part? Once a child is a confident reader, they can learn anything they want!
Read on for some easy and low-prep letter J crafts you and your child can do together.
Fun Letter J Crafts for Toddlers and Preschoolers
1. J is for Jellyfish — Creative Craft Box
Paper jellyfish are much cuter than the real thing. Bonus? They don’t sting like their underwater counterparts. Check out this fun tutorial by Creative Craft Box for a jellyfish project you and your tiny tot can do together.
2. Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle All The Way — All Kids Network
If you’re reading this in December, there’s no better way to sneak in a little learning with all your Christmas crafting than this festive jingle bells activity. Red and green paper and a few supplies from the craft closet are all you need to add to your holiday countdown calendar.
3. Easy Letter J Craft — Kids Activities
The Kids Activities channel on YouTube is one of our favorites for super simple letter crafts. Case in point, this easy letter J activity tutorial clocks in at under a minute, and the end result is a jumping jaguar — here, kitty kitty! — your little one will be proud to hang it on the fridge.
4. How To Draw A Cartoon Jaguar — Art For Kids Hub
Speaking of jaguars, here’s a how-to video from our fave fam on YouTube, Art For Kids Hub. They’ve got instructional videos for how to draw just about anything. Since we’re talking about the letter J, check out their tutorial for drawing a cartoon jaguar.
5. How To Draw A Juice Box — Art For Kids Hub
Here’s one that will make you laugh: how to draw a juice box. Yes, an actual juice box. Hey, our kids love juice boxes, amirite? We’ve got another fun tutorial from Art For Kids Hub teaching us all how to draw this tasty treat.
6. Find The Letter J ― The Singing Walrus
This one is a bit different from the others on this list, but fun all the same. In this video, kids are tasked with finding the letter J in a series of hidden pictures. To incorporate some hands-on learning, have your child grab some paper and crayons and draw a picture of each letter J they find! When they’re done, count all the letter Js and then you’ve worked on some math too!
7. Build A Tiny Plant World — SciShow Kids
In this activity, your child is going to take a jar (or more than one!) and make a terrarium to learn all about plant life. This project also incorporates hands-on science. Two for one — language arts and science — we’d call that a win!
8. How To Fold An Origami Jumping Frog — Art For Kids Hub
Jumping frogs…what could be better!? Here’s an origami project your kiddo will have tons of fun playing with when they’re done! Hop on over and check out the video below.
9. Jellyfish Jamboree
Let your kids make their own jellyfish. You’re going to need a plastic cup (preferably colored ones), a hole puncher, googly eyes, and a bunch of colorful paper clips. Put a hole around the rim of the cup. Then slip paper clips into each hole. Add as many clips to the chain as you like and once you’ve finished adding the tentacles, glue on the googly eyes.
10. Jellybean Jewelry
Does your kiddo love jelly beans? Well, turn your child’s favorite treat into fashionable jewelry. Using a needle and thick thread, help your little one piece each jelly bean together. When you’re done making your bracelets and necklaces, your child will have their very own candy jewelry. To give the craft an educational twist, encourage your little one to make the bracelets by color.
11. Jar of Joy
Write down a bunch of positive messages on pieces of colorful paper. Fold them up and drop them into the jar. Then toss some of your favorite candy in it as well. Place a few more of your favorite items into the jar until it’s full. Whenever you feel sad or down in the dumps, break out your joy jar to add some sunshine to your day.
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Now, let's discuss the concepts mentioned in this article.
Reading Readiness:
Reading readiness refers to the stage when a child shows signs of being ready to learn to read. It indicates that a child has developed certain foundational skills and abilities that are necessary for successful reading. These skills may include letter recognition, phonemic awareness, vocabulary development, and comprehension skills. It is important to identify and support reading readiness in children to ensure a smooth transition into reading and promote their overall literacy development.
Letter Learning:
Letter learning is a crucial aspect of the reading process. It involves teaching children to recognize and understand the letters of the alphabet, their shapes, sounds, and associations with words. Letter learning lays the foundation for phonics instruction and helps children develop phonemic awareness, which is the ability to identify and manipulate individual sounds in words. By mastering letter learning, children gain the necessary skills to decode and comprehend written language.
Teaching Kids to Read Before Kindergarten:
Teaching children to read before starting kindergarten can provide them with a head start in their literacy journey. Early exposure to reading and literacy activities can help children develop a love for reading, build vocabulary, and enhance their cognitive and language skills. It is important to create a language-rich environment at home by engaging in activities such as reading together, pointing out street signs and logos, using captions while watching TV, and listening to audiobooks. These activities promote strong reading skills and foster a positive attitude towards reading.
Letter J Crafts:
The article mentions a collection of letter J crafts that can help promote literacy and facilitate imaginative play through art. Here are some examples of the crafts mentioned:
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J is for Jellyfish: This craft involves creating paper jellyfish. It is a fun and creative activity that can be done with toddlers and preschoolers.
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Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells: This craft incorporates learning with Christmas crafting. It involves using red and green paper to create jingle bells for a holiday countdown calendar.
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Easy Letter J Craft: This craft tutorial, available on the Kids Activities YouTube channel, demonstrates how to create a jumping jaguar using simple materials.
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How To Draw A Cartoon Jaguar: The Art For Kids Hub provides a tutorial on drawing a cartoon jaguar, which aligns with the letter J theme.
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How To Draw A Juice Box: Another tutorial from the Art For Kids Hub teaches how to draw a juice box, adding a fun and relatable element to the craft.
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Find The Letter J: This activity involves finding the letter J in a series of hidden pictures. It combines hands-on learning with letter recognition.
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Build A Tiny Plant World: This activity involves creating a terrarium to learn about plant life. It combines language arts and science.
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How To Fold An Origami Jumping Frog: The Art For Kids Hub provides instructions on folding an origami jumping frog, adding an interactive element to the craft.
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Jellyfish Jamboree: This craft involves creating jellyfish using plastic cups, paper clips, and googly eyes.
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Jellybean Jewelry: This craft involves making bracelets and necklaces using jelly beans, needle, and thread. It can be done by color, adding an educational twist.
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Jar of Joy: This craft involves creating a jar filled with positive messages, candy, and favorite items. It serves as a source of positivity and can be used to uplift spirits.
These letter J crafts provide engaging and creative ways to reinforce letter recognition and promote literacy skills in young children.
Remember, these crafts are just a few examples mentioned in the article. If you're interested in exploring more letter crafts or other literacy activities, I can provide further information or suggestions.
