How to Make Your Very Own ABC Tubs

Have you ever looked at the ABC tubs from Lakeshore Learning and wondered if you could make them yourself for less than the asking price of $149?  I was wondering the same thing over the past few weeks and decided to take the plunge!!  Now, I want to share my success with you!

First, I went to the Dollar Tree and found these fabulous Surefresh, Reusable, Round containers with lids!  They were sold in sets of 4.  So, I purchased 7 sets, giving me 28 containers (2 extras, but I'll find something clever to do with those).  It only cost me $7.51 after tax!!!  I'm not going to lie, I was pretty excited at this point!

Next I printed out the letters (one uppercase and one lowercase for every letter) on card stock.  I cut them out and used shipping tape to secure them to each of the containers.  

It took awhile, but I've slowly filled each container with some goodies that start with the letter.  I asked my kids to help me when they were cleaning their rooms and came across little things they didn't want anymore!  I also went to Michaels Craft Store and bought a few packages of buttons to add to the "harder" letters.  I spent another $10 on buttons.  You can also look in the "dollhouse" section of Michaels for miniature items, listed below!

I plan to ask my students to bring in things to help fill the containers once school starts up again in the fall!

Here are some ideas of ways you can use these fabulous little containers now that you've got them ready to go:

* Set up a learning center and have students sort the items from 4-5 containers back into the correct containers.  Ask them to explain why they sorted the items the way they did.  You might be surprised.  I've had "zebra" sorted into "S."  Why, you might ask?  For "stripes," of course!!

* You can use these for ELL students.  Maybe they have never seen a cotton ball or q-tip.  This would be a good, tactile experience for them.  

* I used these containers when we were working on writing "describing statements" in first grade.  Students had to pick an item from one container and look at it, feel it, and smell it.  This helped them to verbally share their describing statements before writing them out.

* Use them when you are introducing a letter of the week in Kindergarten.  Students can practice their beginning sounds that each letter can make by saying the name of the various goodies you have put in the containers.

Do you need help filling your containers?  I did, too!  I'm hoping this list of ABC ideas will help you!  If you have more ideas, please share them in the comments below!  (Remember, you can always take a picture of an item, print it on card stock and laminate it before putting it in the container.)

A - alligator, ax, airplane, apple, ape, ant, acorn, arrow, arm

B - brown, bead, button, bear, box, blue, butterfly, balloon, boy, bike, boat, bug, bird

C - cow, curl, card, cat, cotton candy, cake, car, camera, can, cup

D - deer, dime, donuts, door, doll, dice, dinosaur, duck, dog, drum, dolphin

E - elephant, egg, emu, eagle, eight, ear, engine, earth, eleven, elk, eel

F - frog, fish, file, fire truck, freight truck, fox, 

G - gorilla, ghost, giraffe, grapes, girl, garage, game, garbage, guitar, gift

H - horse, helicopter, hat, hen, horn, hammer, house, hair, hook, hand

I - inchworm, igloo, ice cream, insects, infant, iron, island, ice, inch
J - jellyfish, jelly beans, jeep, jug, jaguar, jump, jam, jacket, jar, jet, jewelry

K - kangaroo, key, king, kettle, kite, kayak, koala bear, keyboard, kitten

L - lemon, lime, list, lizard, light bulb, lion, leaf, ladybug, lunchbox, lamp

M - money, mouse, mitt, monkey, mask, mat, moon, maze, mouth, melon, mitten, mop, mail

N - nickel, nail, nut, nest, net, necklace, neck, nine, nose, newt
O - octopus, ostrich, owl, oven, onion, octagon, octopus, orange, otter, ox

P - penguin, peach, pickle, pencil, paperclip, penny, paper, police car, parachute, plant, parrot, piano

Q - quail, queen, q-tip, quilt, question mark

R - rabbit, red, rust, rhinoceros, rope, ring, rose, robot, rainbow, rake, rat, raccoon, rain

S - snail, seahorse, snake, sun, spoon, sunflower, ship, shoe, sheep, star, socks, six
T - tiger, table, tape, tent, telephone, table, tomato, toy, tooth, toad, taxi, train

U - umbrella, umpire, uniform, unicorn, ukulele, unicycle

V - violin, vulture, vampire bat, vest, vegetables

W - water, wig, wizard, white, watermelon, wagon, whale, woman, wand, world, web

X - xylophone, x-ray

Y - yak, yellow, yardstick, yogurt, yacht, yarn, yo-yo

Z - zebra, zipper, zucchini, zero, zoo, zigzag, zinnia