Alphabet > Letter H · Animals > Mammals > Hippopotamus [en español]
Holidays & Events > Feb 15> World Hippopotamus Day

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Alphabet Letter H Hippopotamus Preschool Lesson Plan Printable Activities and Worksheets

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Animals > Mammals > Hippopotamus:

A hippopotamus is a very large, round mammal that has short legs with hooves and thick skin with almost no hair. Hippopotamuses live in or near rivers and lakes of tropical Africa. They spend most of the day in the water to stay cool in hot weather. They eat plants. Plural: hippopotamuses or hippopotami

Online resource > Hippopotamus @ Wikipedia.org. Conservation status: vulnerable

Alphabet activities:

This hippopotamus image has a matching printable craft.

Children age 3 and under:

Print a letter H coloring page D'Nealian or Standard Block font and hippopotamus coloring page behind it or on a separate page if using paints to decorate later. Discuss other letter H words found on the worksheet.

Finger Tracing: Trace letter H's in upper and lower case with your finger as you also sound out the letter. Invite the children to do the same on their coloring page.

Children can trace and color the letter H's. Encourage children to color the image. Write the word hippopotamus on the margin.

Handwriting worksheet tips:

Encourage the children to trace the dotted letter, and explain the direction of the arrows and numbers that help them trace the letter correctly.

During the demonstration, you may want to count out loud as you trace so children become aware of how the number order aids them in the writing process.

Have the children find all the letter H's in upper and lower case on the page and encourage them to circle them.

Children ages 3+:

Letter H words: Letter H Worksheet Program and Mini-Book can be used as part of program of activities to reinforce letter practice and to identify related words. Read suggested instructions for using the worksheet and mini-book.

You can also display letter posters and coloring pages or make a letter H home or classroom book. For related images visit: Letter H Printable Activities.

Letter H Word Search & Handwriting Practice: The four and six word search game features the hippo and letter H words with pictures and handwriting practice.

Advanced Handwriting Practice:

1. Print your choice of printable lined-paper. Have children draw and color a hippo behind the lined paper or select and print a hippopotamus coloring page to color after writing practice.

2. Drawing and writing paper: encourage children to draw and color a hippopotamus and practice writing letter H h.