Teach Letter and Color Recognition with this Alphabet Painting Activity

Teach color and letter recognition with this alphabet painting activity. It encourages fine motor skills development too.

This activity is what I like to call a “super combo.” It teaches so many different skills and all your child thinks they are doing is squirting colorful water on a paper towel. I love it!

This activity takes minimal set up, but it will keep your little one occupied and learning for a nice extended time.

There are three main skills they will be working on – color matching, letter recognition, and fine motor skills.

Your child has to match the letter to the color. Then, with their pincer grip, they squirt the matching color onto the letter.

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Skills: Alphabet

Ages: 3 Years +

Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Watch the Video to See This Letter Painting Activity in Action!

Watch this video and see the alphabet painting project in action. Turn up the volume, you can hear me asking my son to locate the “yellow C” and he correctly squirts the yellow on the C.

This is also building the blocks of following instructions and communication too.

Watch the Video to See it in Action!

Watch this video and see the alphabet painting project in action. Turn up the volume, you can hear me asking my son to locate the “yellow C” and he correctly squirts the yellow on the C.

This is also building the blocks of following instructions and communication too.

How to Make an Alphabet Painting Activity

Here’s how to set up your own alphabet painting activities. It literally takes just a few minutes.

Want to keep the fun times going? Write out shapes or numbers on other paper towels. This activity can also help teach preschoolers sight words.

You can use paintbrushes instead of droppers if that’s what you have – they both work just as well as each other.

Materials

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1

Use washable markers to write letters, numbers, or sight words, on an absorbent paper towel.

Step 2

Color water with liquid watercolor or food coloring to match the colors you used on the paper towel. I like liquid watercolor because you get more bang for your buck, the colors are deeply rich, and they are washable!

Step 3

Place the paper towel inside a deep serving tray.

Step 4

Instruct your child to use a dropper (or paintbrush) to squirt the colored water on the matching letter or number.

Step 1

Use washable markers to write letters, numbers, or sight words, on an absorbent paper towel.

Step 2

Color water with liquid watercolor or food coloring to match the colors you used on the paper towel. I like liquid watercolor because you get more bang for your buck, the colors are deeply rich, and they are washable!

Step 3

Place the paper towel inside a deep serving tray.

Step 4

Instruct your child to use a dropper (or paintbrush) to squirt the colored water on the matching letter or number.

Educational Benefits of Alphabet Painting

There are so many things your child is learning as they play this activity with you. Here are the main things they are learning – and it’s all while having fun!

#1 Fine Motor Skills

As your child grabs the dropper and squeezes it to release the colored water, they are strengthening their pincer muscles. These are needed for proper writing and other skills like tying their shoes and working zippers.

They can grow this skill when they use a paintbrush too.

#2 Letter Recognition

As you ask your child, “show me the red D” they are able to identify each letter in the alphabet. You can take this a step further and write out both uppercase and lowercase letters so they can begin recognizing both cases.

#3 Color Recognition

This activity also helps your child match the color of the letter with the colors in the droppers. If you have a really young child that is still learning how to speak, ask them to repeat after you. Repetition helps your child learn how to say the colors.

#4 Color Mixing Artwork

This is a wonderful art activity too. As your child squirts the colors on the paper towel, the colors are going to mix and create new shades and hues. As this happens, ask your child to tell you which two colors mixed and what the new color is. Dry the paper towel overnight and enjoy the tie dye-like artwork!