Sound Treasures: A Phonics Hunt for Curious Little Learners

What do you get when you mix movement, mystery, and letter sounds? A Phonics Treasure Hunt! This playful activity invites little learners to become sound detectives—searching for hidden objects that match beginning letter sounds they’ve been learning. With each find, they get to connect sounds to letters in a hands-on, memorable way. It’s a joyful blend of early literacy and active discovery that turns phonics practice into a mini adventure!

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ACTIVITY AGE CATEGORY: Preschoolers and Kindergarteners

This activity encourages your little learner(s) to be a…

Alphabet Alchemist

Phonics Treasure Hunt

Cultivate your little learner(s) inner explorer by playing Phonics Treasure Hunt!

Watch as little ones embark on a journey of discovery, boosting their confidence and letter-sound connections with every treasure they find.

Materials You Will Need:

Graphics of materials needed for playing Phonics Treasure Hunt showing a tray, a couple letter cards, basket, banana, ball, and button.

2–4 letter cards (or foam letters, magnetic letters, or handwritten paper letters)
Small objects or pictures that start with your chosen letter sounds (e.g., banana, ball, button for B)
A tray, basket, or space to lay out the letters for matching
An open room or area with easy-to-reach hiding spots

Instructions:

Step 1: Pick Your Special Letters
To start, select 2-4 letters that your little learner(s) have been working on or that you would like to review and reinforce.

Step 2: Gather the Sound Treasures
Next, find objects or pictures that represent the different selected initial letter sounds.

For example, if your little learner(s) is practicing the letter ‘p’, you might collect a pencil, police car (toy or picture), and/or penguin (figurine or picture).

Step 3: Set the Stage
Lay out the letter cards in a neat row on a tray, table, floor, or beside empty baskets—wherever works best for your space. Make sure they’re easy for your child to see and access.

Graphics of two baskets: One with the letter card H and a hat, hammer, and helicopter toy to go into the basket and the other with the letter card P with a pencil, toy police car, and toy penguin to go into the basket.

Step 4: Hide the Treasures
Hide the objects or pictures around the room. Tuck them into cozy corners, under cushions, or behind books to make the search just the right mix of challenge and fun.

STEP 5: Start the Hunt!
Invite your child to go on a “sound treasure hunt”! Let them know they’re searching for objects that begin with special letter sounds—and their job is to bring each one back to match it with the right letter.

STEP 6: Match and Talk
As each item is found, help your child figure out which letter it goes with. For example: “You found a penguin! Let’s listen for the first sound—/p/, /p/, penguin. What letter makes that sound?”

You may need to help guide your little one in identifying the initial sound of the object and matching it to the corresponding letter.

STEP 7: Review and Celebrate
Once everything is matched, go through the letters together. Say the letter name, the sound, and list the items for each one: “B is for /b/: banana, ball, button!”

Celebrate with a smile and acknowledge the skills they put into practice.

You might say… “You used great thinking to find and match each item—what a careful sound seeker you are!”

This activity combines physical movement with phonics practice, making the process of learning letter sounds exciting, interactive, and memorable.

The Dynamic Duo

Help your little learner identify beginning, middle, and end sounds using visual aids like Elkonin boxes. For example, draw three boxes and use small objects or counters to represent sounds in words.

Ox and Owl website icons with speak bubbles, introducing themselves.

Phonemic awareness is the key to unlocking the world of reading! It’s perfectly fine if some kids need a little extra time to get the hang of it. Make learning fun by tailoring activities to their developmental level and watching them grow step by step!