Alphabet Hide and Seek: Monkey and Banana
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Type of Resource: PDF
Number of Pages: 28
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Monkey and Banana Alphabet Hide and Seek
- 26 uppercase letter cards on monkeys in color and black and white
- 26 lowercase letter cards on monkeys in color and black and white
- 8 bananas hiding cards in color and black and white
- 4 recording sheets (2 uppercase and 2 lowercase) to cross off guessed letters and write correct guesses
- Instruction pages
Kids name a letter each time they guess where the bananas are hiding, so every turn is a chance to practice letter recognition.
Required Materials:
- Paper, printer and ink
- Pocket chart (or a table)
- Laminator
- Paper cutter or scissors
- Pencils for the recording sheets
Standards for Letter Recognition
This monkey and banana alphabet game supports early literacy standards connected to naming uppercase and lowercase letters, writing letters and taking turns in a group.
Common Core State Standards: English Language Arts
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.1.D: Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet. Kids name a letter with every guess.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.K.1.A: Print many upper- and lowercase letters. Kids write their correct guesses on the recording sheet.
Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines and TEKS for English Language Arts and Reading
- PK4.III.C.1: Child recognizes and names at least 20 letters. Kids name each letter before they check behind the card.
- TEKS ELA K.2(D)(v): Demonstrate print awareness by identifying all uppercase and lowercase letters. Kids play with uppercase cards, lowercase cards or both.
- TEKS ELA K.1(D): Work collaboratively with others by following agreed-upon rules for discussion, including taking turns. Kids take turns guessing and checking.
Virginia English Standards of Learning
- K.FFR.3.A: Identify capital and lowercase letters of the alphabet. Kids name the letter on each card they pick.
- K.FFW.1.B: Print capital and lowercase letters of the alphabet. Kids write the letters they found on the recording sheet.
- K.C.1.A.i: Listen actively and follow agreed-upon rules for participating in discussions. Kids listen to each guess and wait for their turn.
Monkey and Banana Alphabet Hide and Seek is a pocket chart guessing game that gives preschool and kindergarten kids hands-on practice naming uppercase and lowercase letters as they search for the hiding bananas.
The letters sit on monkeys and the bananas are hiding. Kids name a letter to see if a monkey has a banana.
Place the letter cards in a pocket chart and secretly tuck the bananas behind a few of the monkeys. Kids take turns naming a letter, like “Is it behind the B?”, then lift the card to check.
Use the uppercase cards, the lowercase cards or a mix. Start with a few letters kids already know and add more as they grow. The recording sheets let kids cross off each letter that has been guessed and write the letters where they found a hiding card.
How to Play Monkey and Banana Alphabet Hide and Seek
- Place the letter cards you want to practice in a pocket chart. If you don’t have one, lay them face up on a table.
- While the children close their eyes, hide the bananas behind some of the cards.
- Kids take turns naming a letter and checking behind it until all the bananas are found. Then hide them again and play another round!
Circle Time: The whole group takes turns guessing. Count how many guesses it takes to find all the bananas.
Literacy Center: Partners take turns hiding and guessing and record their guesses on the recording sheet.
Easy Ways to Differentiate This Alphabet Hide and Seek Game
Every group has a mix of letter knowledge, attention and turn-taking skills. These simple changes keep the game familiar while meeting each child where they are.
For Children Who Need More Support:
- Start with 3 to 5 letters kids already know.
- Name each letter together before you hide the cards.
- Hide only one card at a time.
- Accept pointing as an answer and say the letter together.
For On-Level Practice:
- Use a full row or the whole alphabet.
- Have kids ask in a full sentence, like “Is it behind the M?”
- Cross off each guess on the recording sheet.
- Switch between uppercase and lowercase cards.
For an Extra Challenge:
- Mix uppercase and lowercase cards in the same chart.
- Have kids say the letter sound along with the letter name.
- Name a word that starts with the letter before checking.
- Write each correct guess on the recording sheet.
For Speech, OT, ELL or Special Education Support:
- Use the same small set of letters across several sessions.
- Accept pointing, gestures, AAC or any communication method the child already uses.
- Model the question “Is it behind the ___?” and give plenty of wait time.
- Let kids pull the cards out of the pocket chart for added fine motor practice.
- Play cooperatively when the goal is letter names, not winning.
Monkey and Banana Alphabet Hide and Seek Is Perfect For:
- Preschool and pre-K
- Kindergarten
- Zoo and jungle themes
- Circle time
- Literacy centers
- Pocket chart centers
- Letter of the week
- Small-group instruction
- Special education
- ELL and multilingual learners
- Homeschool
