Shark letter matching game {Free printable worksheets}
Letter recognition is an important skill for preschool age kids. It’s the first step to learning to read and write. This letter matching game is the perfect way to practice letter recognition for both uppercase and lowercase letters.
As with all learning for young kids you want to make it fun so it doesn’t feel like work and they barely know they’re learning.
There’s just something about sharks that kids love. The sharks in this game have bright colors just like kid favorite Baby Shark. Give this printable shark letter matching game a try!
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My daughter is always so excited when she sees me creating a new craft or activity and can’t wait to get her hands on it. This activity was no different!
We are getting ready to learn to read ourselves so this game is perfect for seeing which letters she knows and which letters she still needs to learn.
I know we especially need to work on our lowercase letters so I love that we can practice both in this game.
Supplies
- Printable sharks and shark teeth
- Scissors
- Marker or dry erase marker
- Optional: Laminator
How to use this letter matching game
1 – Print out the shark worksheets & teeth (template available below). Cut out all the teeth.
You may want to print the teeth on cardstock if you intend to use this game with multiple kids or if your kids are rougher on things.
2 – Optional: Laminate the sharks to easily reuse them. I use this Crenova laminator at home.
3 – Write a letter on the belly of each shark. You can practice 5 letters at a time or print out more sharks if you wish. Write both the uppercase and lowercase form of each letter.
I suggest using a post-it note if they’re not laminated, or a dry erase marker if you did laminate them, to write the letters without having to print new sharks each time.
If you have foam or magnet letters you may be able to use them on the sharks belly as another option.
4 – Lay out the corresponding shark teeth. Be sure to mix them around so the same letters aren’t right next to each other.
5 – Have your child help each shark find their missing teeth (the teeth with the same letter that’s on the shark’s belly). They can put the correct letter teeth in the mouth of the matching shark.
Uppercase letters are the top teeth and lowercase letters are the bottom teeth.
6 – Once they’ve mastered a few letters pick another set of letters to practice.
I do suggest you do a few letters at a time because there’s just not space to do all 26 letters of the alphabet. It could also get a big overwhelming for kids to try to do them all at once.
Tip: Be sure to also review each letter before you start and depending on where your kids are on their learning journey you may want to ask them to repeat it more than once.
You can also review the letter sounds as well if your kids are pretty good with their basic letter recognition.
I find that it’s usually the lowercase letters that trip kids up as they tend to learn the capital letters first.
Printable Shark Letter Game
The shark letter matching game prints on regular 8.5″ x 11″ paper in a PDF format. It’s 10 pages including the instructions page.
You may want to print at least the teeth on cardstock paper.
Click the button below to download the PDF file
Printables are for personal use only. All printables on Tot School Resources website are the property of totschoolresources.com and may not be sold, used for commercial purposes, or given away for free on your own website.
Practicing letter recognition doesn’t have to be boring. A simple letter matching game like this shark themed game can make it feel just like play. What letters will you practice today?
Visit the Activity Page for more fun activities to do with your kids!
