State and Model the Objective
Tell the children that they will play a game with a hippo and a hat while they listen for words that start with the /h/ sound, such as hug, hold, hang, and hide.

Literacy Activities
Hippo's Hat game

• Write a list of /h/ action words such as hug, hold, hang, and hide on a chart or whiteboard, read them to the children, emphasizing the /h/ sound.
• Explain to the children that they will act out those words as they play the Hippo’s Hat game (similar to Simon Says).
• Give each child a paper hat.
• Choose one child to stand at the front of the class and pretend to be a hippo by wearing the hippo headband (see below).
• Have the child playing the hippo choose an /h/ sound action word from the board (support by reading it aloud as needed), then help them say either "Hippo says, 'H___ (e.g., hide) the hat!'” or "H___ (e.g., hang) the hat!" (without saying "Hippo says").
  • If the child begins the instruction with “Hippo says,” the children should do the action with their paper hat and say “H___ the hat.”
  • If the child does not use the phrase, “Hippo says,” the children should do nothing.
• The children who follow the instruction without the phrase, “Hippo says,” will sit until the next round but still get to say the sentence and do the action as appropriate.
• Play the game several times, having the children take turns being the hippo and choosing different /h/ sound action words.
• When the game is over, re-read the list of /h/ sound action words with the children, emphasizing the /h/ sound.

More Practice
Repeat phrases with the target letter

• Ask the children what their favorite /h/ actions were that they did with their hats.
• When the children say the /h/ action, have the class say, “Hooray! We can h___ (e.g., hide) the hat!”