While learning about the letter “P” we decided to explore with pizza!
Pizza is an all-time favorite food for many preschoolers, and activities involving pizza are a great way to introduce the letter “P.” Here are some of our favorite ways to explore the letter “P” with pizza in our classroom!
Begin with a book
We began by reading the book Pete’s a Pizza by William Steig. This is an adorable story where the main character, Pete, starts out in a bad mood. So, his dad decides to turn him into a “pizza” using things like checkers for pepperoni, and little pieces of paper for the cheese to cheer Pete up. It is a great introduction to the pizza-making process and is guaranteed to bring some giggles!
Expanding on the story
During our community circle, we invited the children to take turns tracing the letter “P” and we identified words beginning with the letter “Pp.”
Sharing our favorite pizza
Next, we voted on our favorite pizza. Children practiced writing their name below their favorite pizza and as a class, we counted up the votes.
The kids loved guessing which flavor would get the most votes!
Pretend play with pizza
We also invited the children to explore pizza through pretend play. We had lots of budding chefs making pizza creations in the play kitchen!
Building fine motor skills
The fun with pizza continued as children were invited to create and explore with playdough. They loved kneading their dough and using wooden rolling pins to roll their dough while creating their one-of-a-kind personal pizzas! If you have any caps saved from squeezable yogurt or baby food pouches, they make great pretend play pizza toppings.
Making a tasty treat
One of their favorite activities was making their very own pizzas for a special snack! To make your own mini pizzas you need just a few simple ingredients: English muffins, pizza sauce, pepperoni, and some shredded mozzarella cheese. The teacher(s) can bake them in the oven for the kids to enjoy.
Promoting self-help skills
The mini pizzas were a BIG hit and a great way to build self-help skills as children practice preparing their own snacks and pouring their own drinks!