Hands-On Phonics Adventures: Crafts, Songs, and Sensory Play for Active Preschoolers Learning the Letter B
If you're searching for letter B activities for preschoolers that truly cater to kinesthetic learning, this post is for you. Kinesthetic learners thrive on sensory experiences, active play, and tactile exploration, so I committed to making our letter of the week B unit more dynamic and fun.
Determined to shift gears, I planned a "play-only" day to give her a break from structured preschool letter B lessons. But kids have their own ideas! While I was updating our Letter B packet on the computer (featuring our adorable Glimmercat character), my little one popped up beside me.
"Is that my kitty?" she asked, eyeing the cat illustration.
I explained it was for later, but she insisted, "I want a kitty!" Turns out, she was eager for more letter B homeschool activities. So, we dove in with printable resources from our Letter B Letter of the Week Packet (available on Teachers Pay Teachers). Over five days, we explored letter B crafts, songs, games, and sensory play—all designed for kinesthetic preschoolers to build phonics skills while staying active.
Whether you're homeschooling or supplementing preschool, these fun letter B activities emphasize the "buh" sound (short and snappy, not drawn out) through stories, crafts, and movement. Let's break it down day by day!
Day 1: Introducing the Letter B with Sensory Path of Motion and Matching Games
We sang our catchy letter B song to the tune of "The Bear Went Over the Mountain" (check out the video below for the full lyrics and melody):
Next, we printed the Color Sheet featuring a cat and baby. Instead of just coloring, we added a tactile twist: big pom-poms for the uppercase B and small ones for the lowercase b. This hands-on approach reinforces letter recognition for kinesthetic learners while building fine motor skills.
Then, onto the Matching Game! We reviewed pictures starting with B (like bat, bus, and bear), ensuring she knew each one. She surprised me by calling the bat "flying"—a great teachable moment. We used high-quality Prismacolor pencils for coloring, then she practiced scissor skills by cutting out the cards herself (with gentle guidance on closing the blades).
We played Memory Match, tying with three pairs each—impressive for her second time! Total time: about 30 minutes. Remember, for preschoolers, short sessions are key. Kinesthetic learning for preschoolers prioritizes play over prolonged "work," so we wrapped up and let her run free.
Homeschool Tip: Keep letter B preschool activities to 20-30 minutes max. Play is where the real magic happens for young minds!
Day 2: Bus Puzzles and Letter Matching for Active Exploration
Day 2 focused on "bus" with a simple puzzle printable. My little puzzle pro (fresh from last week's success) assembled it with Grandma's help, showing off her growing confidence in preschool homeschool activities.
We followed with the Letter Matching worksheet, reviewing letters on one side and B-words on the other. Repetition is crucial for letter B phonics, so we connected them together with a pencil. She'll revisit it tomorrow with a highlighter for extra practice.
We kept it light since she also did a Reading Literacy activity from our Letter L packet and an outdoor Scavenger Hunt. Balancing kinesthetic letter B activities with free play keeps things engaging without overwhelm.
Day 3: Bears, Berries, and Number Fun with Blueberries for Bears
Bears took center stage today! We started with our "B is for Bear" craft printable, cutting out paws and face (she tackled the face solo—proud mom moment!). Gluing them created an adorable bear she held while we read the classic Caldecott winner, Blueberries for Sal.
This timeless story inspired our Reading Literacy page, where she "picked" real blueberries and placed them in pails matching numbers 1-5. Counting, then eating them like Little Sal, made letter B crafts and activities deliciously interactive—perfect for kinesthetic preschool learning.
We extended the number theme with a color-by-number bear sheet. She needed help spotting numbers but loved revealing the hidden bear and coloring the bushes independently.
Finally, the Bear Dot-to-Dot: We teamed up to connect numbers, practicing lines and sequencing. No pressure for solo work yet—these fun letter B activities are about building skills together.
Day 4: Butterfly Crafts with Pasta for Sensory Creativity
Butterflies are a hit for any preschool letter B unit, so we got crafty! While our packet includes a cute butterfly printable (seen in our earlier post on Letter B Activities for Ages 2-4), we tried something fresh: painting bow-tie pasta and gluing it onto a flowery background).
This pasta butterfly craft adds texture and color, ideal for kinesthetic learners who love messy, hands-on fun. We skipped the bread butterfly from before to keep things novel—variety keeps homeschool letter B lessons exciting!
Day 5: Bats, Bouncing Balls, and Reinforcing the "Buh" Sound
After a weekend break, we revisited the Color Sheet, filling Bs with counting cubes to differentiate big B and little b.
To prep for our "B is for Bat" craft, we watched kid-friendly videos: an adorable baby bat being fed (here) and fruit bats in action at the San Diego Zoo (here). Short, engaging clips like these demystify bats without scares—essential for positive preschool letter B experiences.
Teaching Tip: Preview YouTube videos for length (1-3 minutes) and action to suit young attention spans.
She cut bat wings (asking for help on tricky parts), then painted a white pom-pom brown for the body. Simple and cute!
For movement, I drew giant chalk Bs outside. She bounced a ball on them, shouting "buh!" each time. Her brother joined, hopping from B to B. B is for bouncing—a memorable kinesthetic activity for letter B that sticks!
That's our letter B week wrapped up! These preschool letter B activities blend phonics, crafts, and play to suit kinesthetic learners. Grab our complete Letter B Letter of the Week Packet here for all printables.
What's your favorite letter B craft? Share in the comments!
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