Letter Game for Budding Photographers

Whenever I get my camera out of my bag to take a photo, I am mobbed by my budding photographers begging me to let them borrow it to take their own photos.

I decided to capitalise on this obsession to get behind the lens by incorporating my camera into a fun letter game which includes writing practice for older children too.

The second prop which really made this one of our more popular games was a clipboard. A game which uses a camera AND a clipboard … well, you just can't go wrong! The beauty of this game is that you can adapt it to children of any ages.

For younger children who still need practice to learn their alphabet letters, you can ask them to find an object beginning with each letter. You then write down the name of the object, while they take a picture of it. For extra practice, then print out small-scale pictures of each photo and ask your child to stick each picture next to the appropriate letter.

If your child is starting to write, they could write the first letter of the object and you can fill in the rest, or you can write the word in pencil and they can trace over the top. If you think 26 letters would be too much for your child, play the letter game with just ten at a time.

Older children can practice writing and spelling by writing the name of the object on their own. Or, for more of a challenge, get them to practice alliteration by writing silly phrases where all key words start with the target letter, such as a 'dark, dainty dog'.

This is how I played this game with my six-year-old son:

Step 1

Since we didn't already have a clipboard, we made our own from a stiff piece of card or cardboard. I used the lid of an old filing box. I cut the card so it was bigger than the paper I wanted it to hold and then taped around the cut edges. I clipped a large binder clip on the top and there you have it - our very own (somewhat basic) clipboard. Of course, a clipboard isn't essential for this alphabet game - but it adds to the fun!

Step 2

I clipped a few blank pieces of paper onto the clipboard and then asked my child to write the alphabet down the left hand side of the paper, continuing on the next sheet when he ran out of room.

Step 3

Then I asked my child to take the camera and search around the house and garden looking for an object beginning with each letter of the alphabet. I said he should take a picture of each object and then write the name of the object down on the paper next to the corresponding letter. And off he went…

He loved having the camera and clipboard - I think it really spiced up what is actually quite a basic letter game. Writing is still quite a struggle for him, however, so after a dozen objects he wanted a break. However, he was really keen to get back to it and finish it later, so clearly he enjoyed himself!

Step 4

Although we ran out of time, you could then print out the photos in a small size and ask your child to stick them next to the appropriate letter.

Go ahead and furnish your child with a camera and clipboard and watch them have fun! If they enjoyed this, why not try this letter game also.

You may also like:

Early Literacy Activities

Early Reading Games

Alphabet Activities

Fishing for Letters and Words