Wrap a box with gold or silver paper. Place a few objects in the box that start with two or three letters. For example, two items that start with "b" and two items that start with "c." Cover the box with a pretty silk scarf. Let your child choose an index card that contains one of the two letters. Then tell him to find the objects in the magic box that begin with the letter. As your child masters the activity, add more objects with different letters to make the task more difficult. Switch roles with your child, so he does not get bored. Pull out an object and let your child state if you selected an object that correctly starts with the right letter.
Sugary letters help children improve alphabet writing. Give toddlers a foil pan that contains sugar. Draw a letter in the sugar. Take a child's finger and trace the letter in the sugar. Shake the pan. Ask if he can draw the letter himself. Draw the letter on a piece of paper so children can refer to it as they draw in the sugar. Modify the game by saying a letter sound and asking children to write the letter that corresponds to the sound.
Educational websites offer free reading and educational games for preschoolers. Try looking at websites that correlate to the children's favorite educational television programs. Sesame Street offers letter games that reinforce phonetic sounds and letter recognition. There is also a wide selection of toddler games for counting and other topics. Barney offers an excellent counting game that lets toddlers count animals. The graphics and familiar characters help keep children on task.
Provide toddlers with coloring pages that contain short words or simple sentences. Read the sentences to them. Ask them to point to a word in the sentence as you read it. See if they can identify the first letter of each word. Review the words in the sentence frequently. Hang the pictures in the room, so children can practice reading the words in the future.