arts and crafts

Zowie! Kids Will Love These Zany & Zippy Letter Z Crafts

Zany projects your kids will love.

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A little girl paints pictures at a table.
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Ah, the letter Z — last, but certainly not least. When your littles are learning their ABCs, it’s easy to find ways to incorporate hands-on DIY activities to help them really take in each lesson. But by the time you get to the letter Z, you may find yourself running out of ideas. If that’s you, we’ve got you covered with a collection of letter Z crafts to help teach your toddler or preschooler all about the last letter in the alphabet.

We’ve got everything from science to art to music covered down below. Varying it up is good because it offers multiple teaching opportunities for kids with different learning styles. And speaking of switching things up, did you know that the letter Z hasn’t always been the last letter of the alphabet? In fact, it enjoyed the number seven spot in the Greek alphabet. You learn something new every day, right? Which brings us to this roundup of artsy activities your early learner will zoom through.

Check out our letter Z crafts below when you need some fun, educational ways to help your kiddo learn all about this member of the alphabet.

Easy Letter Z Crafts for Toddlers and Preschoolers

1. Z Is for Zebra — All Kids Network

Wanna know a cool fact? A group of zebras is called a “dazzle.” Share that with your kids, and then dazzle them with this fun zebra activity from All Kids Network. The tutorial is short and sweet, so you can complete this craft any time you’ve got an hour or two to spare.

2. How to Craft a Paper Zebra — Kids Activities

Zebras can sleep standing up. As a busy parent, you probably can, too — raising kids is exhausting! When you’re teaching your kiddo their alphabet and get to the letter Z, check out this fun craft from Kids Activities on YouTube.

3. The Letter Z Song — Jack Hartmann Kids Music Channel

Do you have a high-energy toddler or preschooler? Jack Hartmann’s videos on YouTube are a fantastic way to teach them their letters. Hartmann offers catchy tunes and easy-to-learn dances to help kids learn their alphabet. When you finish singing and dancing along, have kids draw pictures of their favorite items that start with the letter Z.

4. How to Draw Zootopia Characters: Judy Hopps — Draw So Cute

Zootopia is what we’d call a modern classic. It’s every bit as entertaining for the adults as it is for the kids, and the life lessons we can learn from this film are bar none. So why not start off your letter Z week with a lesson on how to draw Judy Hopps from this heartwarming film? The tutorial Draw So Cute offers is easy to follow and will keep little ones engaged.

5. How to Draw Zootopia Characters: Nick Wilde — Draw So Cute

After you draw Judy Hopps, put pen (or crayon!) to paper and draw her frenemy — and, later, BFF — Nick Wilde. This sly fox is fun to draw and even more fun to watch onscreen. Once you’ve learned all about the letter Z and practiced drawing characters from Zootopia, cap off the afternoon with popcorn and a movie.

6. Why Do Zebras Have Stripes? — SciShow Kids

Why do zebras have stripes? Isn’t this something we’ve all wondered at some point? Well, SciShow Kids is tackling this fascinating science lesson in the video below. Once you’re done watching it with your kids, have them finger paint a picture of a zebra to hang up on the fridge. Learn science, reading, and art all at the same time!

7. Zoo Animals for Kids — Maple Leaf Learning

Maple Leaf Learning has a fun lesson on zoo animals for kids (and, really, zoo might be one of the most fun Z words around). When you’re finished learning about the animals featured in the video, take a field trip to your nearest zoo and see the real deal. Have kids take a notebook and pencil along and draw pictures of their favorite animals. This is an engaging and hands-on way to teach all about the letter Z.

8. The Zero Song — Numberblocks

Want to combine math and reading? Numberblocks teaches us all about the number zero in this catchy song. Have kids practice writing the letter Z and the number zero while completing hands-on math activities related to the concept learned in the video.

More Easy Letter Z Crafts for Toddlers and Preschoolers

1. Make a Zoo

Teaching your child about zoos is an opportunity to show them all the animals that live there. First, you’re going to need a paper plate, a picture of their favorite animal, construction paper, and black string. After your child is done coloring in the animal, cut it out and glue it in the center of the plate. They can also draw in grass or water, depending on the animal. Then cut out a few strands of yarn and glue it vertically on the plate like a cage, so it looks like the animal is inside a cage. And voila — your very own zoo exhibit.

2. Zinnia Zest

Turn arts and crafts into a mini botany lesson by teaching your child about zinnias. Help them create their very own bright flower by cutting up small yellow and red circles of construction paper. Then paste them in a bunch on a large green or white paper. Encourage your child to make their zinnia as large or small as they like, and when they're done, glue a green pipe cleaner to the base as a stem.

3. Zig-zag Art

Teach your little one about zig-zags with construction paper and glue. Cut out strips of colored paper. Fold them square by square so it has an accordion-like shape once you're done with all the folds. Paste each paper, zig-zag on a large piece of construction paper so that each strip jumps off the page. Once it's dry, glue the zig-zags that are closest to each other. Then you'll have a page full of funky lines.

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