Big L and little l look simple, but they are easy to mix up. Big L is a tall line down and a short line across the bottom, so it can look a lot like a T, an F or an E turned around. Little l is just one tall line, so it hides among i, t, j and f. Then there is the L sound at the start of “lamp” and “lion.” The Letter L Game turns all of it into a flashlight adventure.
Meet Alphy! All the lights are off in Alphy’s house, and everything is just dark shapes. Kids walk Alphy from room to room, through the kitchen, the dining room, the living room, the bedroom and the bathroom, and shine his flashlight wherever they point. Every L they find turns a lamp back on, so the whole house gets brighter and brighter.
Before you play, draw a big L in the air together: a tall line down, then a short line across the bottom. Then hold up one finger for little l: just one tall line. Now grab your flashlight!
Watch Alphy play the Letter L Game
How to play
- Press Play. Alphy reads every direction out loud, so even kids who are not reading yet know what to do.
- Tap the floor to walk Alphy around the dark house (or hold and drag to steer). The flashlight shines wherever you point.
- Round 1, Big L: find the little stacks of letter cards on the couch, the bed and the tub, and tap the big L. Letters like T, F, E and J are there too, so look for the short line at the bottom.
- Round 2, Little l: Doodles turns the lights off again! Find the little l, just one tall line, among i, t, j and f.
- Round 3, L Pictures: shine the light on the baskets around the house and find the pictures that start with L, like lamp, lemon, leaf and lion.
- Stuck? Doodles is hiding in a dark corner. Tap his blinking eyes for a hint. Every right answer lights up a room, and you can earn rewards like bunny slippers and a super flashlight.
- Build streaks of 3, 5 and 10 in a Row, chase a High Score, go for a Perfect Game, and earn up to five stars at the end.
What kids learn
The Letter L Game practices recognizing the uppercase and lowercase letter L and hearing the L sound at the start of words, early literacy skills that build toward Kindergarten letter knowledge (CCSS RF.K.1d: recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters).
- Big L: a tall line down, and a short line across the bottom.
- Little l: just one tall line, and nothing else.
- L pictures: lamp, lemon, leaf and lion all start with L.
- Looking carefully: big L sits next to letters like T and F, and little l sits next to i, t and j, so kids learn to spot the short line at the bottom, the dot and the cross.
Try this at home or in class: turn the lights down, grab a flashlight and go on an L hunt around the room. Find a lamp, a lemon or a leaf and say it together: lamp, L, lamp! Then make a big L with two pencils.
More practice with the letter L
- Letter L Song: sing and dance along with the letter L.
- Letter L Tracing Worksheet: trace big L and little l.
- Letter L Handwriting Practice Worksheet: write the letter L on your own.
- Alphabet Stories Letter L: a short letter L story to read together.
- Letter K Game and Letter M Game: keep the alphabet adventure going.
Teachers and members can assign the Letter L Game to the whole class with a Classroom link, so every student plays the full game on any device.
