Overview
The children will make a zigzag lightning bolt as they recognize and name the uppercase letter Z and the lowercase letter z.

Literacy Activities
Zigzag Z

• Write the uppercase letter Z and the lowercase letter z on a whiteboard, name the letters, and have the children say the letter name as they write the Z and z in the air with their fingers.
• Explain to the children that the letter Z kind of looks like lightning and that lightning zips and zaps.
• Have the children gather around desks or tables.
• Squirt a blob of shaving cream, dish soap, or body wash on the table in the space in front of each child.
• Allow the children to rub the shaving cream, dish soap, or body wash around on top of the desk to make it look like fluffy clouds.
• Let the children use their fingers to make zigzag lightning bolts in the shape of the letter Z in the shaving cream.
• Tell the children to say, “Zigzag Z!” or "Zip! Zap! Z!" each time they make a Z lightning bolt.
• Help the children clean up the shaving cream and have them wash their hands.

More Practice
Identify and write the target letter

• Show the children the cloud graphic and tell them they will need to search the room to find zigzag Z lightning bolts to put on the cloud.
• Scatter the letter cards around the room, then let the children gather the cards.
• Help the children decide whether or not each letter is an uppercase letter Z or a lowercase letter z.
  • If the letter is a Z, have the children glue or tape it on the cloud graphic.
  • If the letter is not a Z, place it in the discard pile.
  • If a child misidentifies a distractor letter as a Z or a z, have him or her look at the Z and z on the whiteboard and compare them to the letter he or she picked.

Write the target letter

• Help the children write the letter Z on small pieces of paper.
• Allow the children to attach their Z papers to the cloud graphic.