Alphabet hide and seek pocket chart fun with a jungle twist! Make letter recognition feel like a jungle adventure with the Monkey & Banana Alphabet Hide & Seek Pocket Chart Game, a hands-on guessing game where children search for bananas hidden behind cheerful monkey alphabet cards.

This interactive alphabet game brings laughter and learning together in one easy-to-prep activity. Children name letters aloud, make guesses and record what they find, so they build uppercase and lowercase letter recognition, handwriting and beginning phonics skills while they play. Whether you are working one-on-one, in small groups or with the whole class, your kids will be begging to play again and again.

With this monkey alphabet game, you get

• Uppercase and lowercase monkey alphabet cards in color and black and white
• Banana cards to hide behind the letters
• Differentiated recording pages for uppercase and lowercase letters
• A game you can play in a pocket chart, on a table or on the floor
• Easy ways to adjust the number of letters for every learner

Print, laminate and let your kids go bananas for alphabet learning!

What's Included

• Uppercase alphabet cards (color)
• Lowercase alphabet cards (color)
• Uppercase alphabet cards (black and white)
• Lowercase alphabet cards (black and white)
• Banana cards for hiding behind the letters
• Printable recording sheets with uppercase and lowercase options
• Easy-to-follow teacher instructions with differentiation tips

All cards are designed to fit perfectly in a standard pocket chart (a hanging chart with clear pockets), but they can also be used on a table or the floor.

Why Teachers Love It

• Kids stay engaged: Guessing which monkey letter hides a banana keeps every child watching for the reveal.
• Completely adjustable: You choose how many letters to display, so the game works for beginners and for students ready for the full alphabet.
• Uppercase and lowercase options: Use one set at a time or practice both.
• Printer-friendly: Color and black and white cards fit any printing budget.
• Works for any group size: Play one-on-one, in small groups or as a whole-group alphabet game.
• A fun theme tie-in: It is perfect for back-to-school, animal themes or anytime you need a little extra fun in your literacy block.

Skills Students Practice

Primary Academic Skills

• Uppercase and lowercase letter recognition: Children find and name letters with every guess.
• Alphabetical order and visual discrimination: Children scan the chart and tell apart similar letters.
• Beginning sounds: Children say each letter aloud while guessing.
• Handwriting practice: Optional recording sheets ask children to write the correct letters.
• Listening skills: Children listen to each guess and keep track of the letters already checked.
• Fine motor skills: Handling cards and recording answers build hand control.

Secondary Life & Learning Skills

• Taking turns
• Remembering previous guesses
• Making and checking predictions
• Waiting during group play
• Following directions
• Building confidence during group participation

How to Use It

Step 1: Print and laminate the monkey alphabet cards and banana cards. Set up the alphabet cards in a pocket chart, on the floor or on a table. Start simple with 3 to 5 letters for beginners or challenge your advanced learners with the full alphabet.

Step 2: One player hides 1 to 8 banana cards behind the letter cards while the others close their eyes.

Step 3: Students take turns guessing where the bananas are hiding by saying the letter aloud, then reveal whether a banana is hidden behind that letter. Use the optional recording pages to cross off guessed letters and write correct answers in the boxes.

Easy Differentiation

Children learn letters at very different rates. Because you choose the letters and how many to show, this game fits every learner.

For Children Who Need More Support

• Display just 3 letters and hide 1 banana
• Start with uppercase letters or letters in a child's name
• Name each letter together before hiding the bananas
• Use the color cards for extra visual support

For On-Level Practice

• Display 5 or more letters and hide 2-3 bananas
• Practice lowercase letters along with uppercase letters
• Use the recording pages to cross off guesses and write correct letters
• Line the monkey cards up in alphabetical order before you hide the bananas

For an Extra Challenge

• Display the full alphabet and hide up to 8 bananas
• Include similar letters such as b and d together
• Mix uppercase and lowercase cards in the same round
• Let a child lead the game and check each guess

For Speech, OT, ELL or Special Education Support

• Choose specific letters of focus for each child's goals
• Use a short language frame such as "Is the banana behind the letter ___?"
• Have children point to a letter to guess when naming is still emerging
• Use the black and white cards to reduce visual clutter
• Give extra processing time before each guess

Perfect For

• Literacy centers
• Small group instruction
• Whole-group alphabet games
• RTI or intervention
• Homeschool learning
• Speech therapy sessions
• Morning tubs or fast-finisher bins
• Back-to-school and animal themes

Standards

This alphabet hide and seek game supports the 2022 Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines and Virginia's Early Learning and Development Standards (2021), plus kindergarten literacy and speaking standards in Common Core, the TEKS (ELAR, adopted 2017) and the Virginia English SOL (2024):

Common Core State Standards

• CCSS RF.K.1.d: Recognize and name all uppercase and lowercase letters of the alphabet.
• CCSS L.K.1.a: Print many uppercase and lowercase letters while writing correct answers on the recording pages.
• CCSS SL.K.1.a: Follow agreed-upon rules, such as listening to others and taking turns, during group play.

Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines

• Texas Pre-K Guidelines PK4.III.C.1: Recognize and name letters while guessing which monkey card hides a banana.
• Texas Pre-K Guidelines PK4.I.C.4: Interact with peers during cooperative play that shares a common plan and goal.

Texas TEKS

• TEKS ELAR K.2.D.v: Identify all uppercase and lowercase letters.
• TEKS ELAR K.2.E: Form uppercase and lowercase letters on the recording pages.
• TEKS ELAR K.1.D: Work with others by following agreed-upon rules, including taking turns.

Virginia Early Learning and Development Standards

• Virginia ELDS CLLD2.4: Learn how letters work by naming uppercase and lowercase letters during play.

Virginia SOL

• VA SOL English K.FFR.3.A: Identify capital and lowercase letters of the alphabet.
• VA SOL English K.FFW.1.B: Print capital and lowercase letters on the recording pages.
• VA SOL English K.C.1.A.i: Listen actively and follow agreed-upon rules for participating, such as waiting for a turn.

Check out what other educators are saying:

★★★★★ Sandra Carpentieri (TPT Seller) wrote, “GREAT way for students to interact with letters in a fun and engaging way! We use this for both whole group instruction as well as adding this to my workstation rotation.”

★★★★★ Alyssa K. wrote, “My preschool students love using this learning activity to find the surprise hidden behind the letters as they are beginning to recognize letters and sounds. It is nice to be able to use specific letters of focus to differentiate for a variety of student's needs. Thank you.”

Let your kids go bananas for alphabet learning! Add the Monkey & Banana Alphabet Hide & Seek Pocket Chart Cards to your literacy centers today and make letter recognition playful and fun for everyone.

The Monkey & Banana Theme Alphabet Hide & Seek Pocket Chart Cards are also included in the Alphabet Hide & Seek Pocket Chart Cards ENDLESS Bundle.

Download Details

Please note: This is a digital download that will be available to you directly after purchase. Nothing will be mailed to you.

You will receive a link to the download in three places

1. On the 'thank you' page after checkout
2. In your email
3. Login on the site here: https://lifeovercsstore.com/account