Encourage your kids to play with their food, learn their letters, and build vocabulary with these fun activities. Use alphabet noodles or cereal to play the following reading games and activities with your kids. 

Spelling game
Young children will love sorting through a pan of dry alphabet noodles or cereal and picking out letters they recognize: the letters in their own names, or short words they know how to spell. By placing the words on a piece of dark-colored construction paper, the letters will stand out and therefore be easier to read. Children also love to pick out letters in a spoonful of noodle soup or alphabet cereal and milk. These letters are too soggy to save, but your children may want to see how many different letters they can recognize before swallowing.

Spill and spell game
Rinse out the can after you make store-bought alphabet soup, but leave the label on. Remove any burrs on the rim and wrap the rim with cloth tape. Pour in a half cup of dry alphabet noodles. Now you have a spill-and-spell game to give your children. To play, have your children spill out the letters, in the soup can, on a table. Reposition letters that are upside down or backward. Set a kitchen timer for a certain amount of time (say, five minutes), then see how many words they can make before the timer rings. They can write down the words if you're keeping score. Next time, you take a turn.

Alphabet place cards

Alphabet noodles add an extra dimension to holiday or party place cards. Sit down with your children and make a list of birthday party guests, or guests who are expected to join the family for a holiday dinner. To make place cards, cut out squares of paper, fold them in half, and place them open end down, like pup tents. Pour a bag of alphabet noodles into a pie pan so your child can sort out the letters for each name on the list. Then have them glue the name on a place card. Pre-readers will need your help sorting out the letters and sequencing them properly. Your list should be written out in all capital letters so your children can match the noodle letters, which are also all capitals, to the printed letters.
 

Birthday gift tags
Your children can glue names made out of noodles on colorful paper tags for birthday or holiday gift boxes. Punch a hole in the tag and tie on a ribbon, then attach it to the present.

Party cupcakes 

Make personalized cupcakes for your child's birthday party. Set the names of each guest in alphabet cereal letters on top of a frosted cupcake. The birthday child can help pick out the letters and arrange them.