5 of the Easiest Letter Y Art Activities for Little Kids
If you’re teaching toddlers, preschoolers, or young learners the letter Y, you’re in for a fun way to mix art, creativity, and letter learning! Whether you’re working on uppercase letters, lowercase letters, or letter sounds, these hands-on activities are a fantastic way to strengthen fine motor skills, practice letter recognition, and make learning stick.
These are mostly for uppercase Ys, but if you’re also learning lower case letters, you can adapt them for that. These projects are to creative ways to learn both while having fun!
5 Fun & Easy Art Activities for the Letter Y
So grab your construction paper, glue stick, extra yarn, and a piece of paper—it’s time to explore five playful letter Y activities your little ones will love!
1. Y is for Yo-Yo
A yo-yo craft is a great way to introduce the shape of the letter Y while talking about letter sounds.
How to do it:
- Draw or cut out a large uppercase letter Y.
- Cut out a large paper circle for yo-yos.
- Glue on the circle to the Y.
- Add a piece of yarn from the yo-yo to the bottom of the Y—instant movement fun!
Kids can decorate the yo-yos with dot markers or stickers. Display them on a bulletin board for a cheerful alphabet wall.
2. Yarn Painting
This yarn craft is a fun way for kids to explore texture and creativity.
What you need: yarn, paint, piece of paper, and trays or plates for dipping.
How to do it:
- Dip strands of yarn into paint.
- Drag them across the paper to make swirly designs.
It’s a fine motor activity that doubles as a sensory experience. Bonus points if you use the color yellow for that letter Y connection.
3. Yarn Collage
This one’s all about fine motor skills and hands-on activities.
Set up:
- Give each child a piece of paper (Optional: Add a large uppercase or lowercase letter y drawn on it).
- Hand out short pieces of yarn and glue sticks or white glue.
Directions:
Place yarn pieces all over the paper. It’s a great way to reinforce fine motor skills and strengthen little fingers.
4. Yak Project
Who doesn’t love a yak craft? This silly letter Y animal is always a hit. Click here for the free printable template for the yak.
Supplies: construction paper, scissors, glue stick, and extra yarn for the yak’s shaggy hair.
Steps:
- Cut a yak head shape from brown paper.
- Add eyes, horns, and the letter Y (Optional: lots of yarn for the fuzzy fur).
- Label it “Y is for Yak.”
It’s adorable, easy, and connects letter recognition with a real-world animal. Add it to your lesson plans or alphabet bulletin board for instant charm!
5. Yellow Collage
The last fun art activity that we like to do with the letter Y is a yellow collage. This project is awesome because you can use any simple supplies you can find that are yellow! You can find the whole project here.
All you need to do is cut out a Y shape, color or paint it yellow, and then glue on your yellow objects!
Extra Tips for the Letter Y
- Pair these letter Y activities with a sensory bin filled with yellow objects—yo-yos, yarn, rubber ducks, and more!
- Use printable templates for easy setup.
- Always review your terms of use if you’re sharing printables online.
- Talk about letter sounds while crafting to support phonemic awareness.
Learning the letter Y doesn’t have to be just another alphabet drill—it can be a fantastic way to build confidence, creativity, and joy in early learning. These fun activities are simple, hands-on, and perfect for your next lesson plan.
So go ahead—say “Yay for Y!” and watch your young learners light up with excitement!
Move On to Another Letter of the Alphabet
We’ve been working on a different letter of the week this year. Check out more of our letter and educational activities for young children as we finish the complete alphabet.
Letter A Art Activities
Try these fun activities to learn the letter A. These are a perfect way to learn more letters and try easy letter crafts. You can find it here.
