70+ Things That Start With A (That will be in Your Classroom)

We were looking for objects that start with A, but many lists had obscure items I could not find. Hopefully, you can round up many of these things, beginning with A. Here are over 100 ideas of things you might find in a classroom, nursery, or kindergarten that start with the letter A. These will be great for show and tell, alphabet games, phonics and more.

Complete Guide: 70+ Things That Start with A (2025)

Looking for things that start with the letter A? Whether you’re helping kids learn the alphabet, playing word games, or just satisfying your curiosity, this comprehensive list has you covered. From classroom essentials to exotic animals, discover over 70 items organized by category.

Classroom Objects that Start with A

Perfect for teachers, parents, and students learning vocabulary:

Essential Learning Tools:

Abacus – Ancient counting device still used for math education
Alphabet chart – Visual aid displaying letters A-Z
Atlas – Book of maps for geography lessons
Answer key – Teacher’s guide with correct responses

Creative & Learning Supplies:

Art supplies – Paints, brushes, and creative materials
Audiobook player – Device for listening to recorded stories
Attendance sheet – Daily record of student presence
Award certificates – Recognition documents for achievements

Classroom Environment:

Aquarium – Fish tank for science observation
Adhesives – Glue sticks, tape, and binding materials

Vehicles and Transportation that Start with A

From emergency services to adventure vehicles:

Emergency & Service Vehicles:

Ambulance – Medical emergency transport vehicle
Armored car – Secure transport for valuables
Aircraft carrier – Naval ship launching aircraft

Air Transportation:

Airplane – Fixed-wing aircraft for passenger/cargo transport
Airship – Lighter-than-air aircraft (like blimps)
Aerial tramway – Cable car system for mountainous areas

Specialized Vehicles:

ATV (All-Terrain Vehicle) – Off-road recreational vehicle
Amphibious vehicle – Transport working on land and water
Auto rickshaw – Three-wheeled taxi common in Asia
Articulated bus – Extra-long bus with flexible joint

Animals that Start with A

Discover fascinating creatures from around the world:

African Wildlife:

Aardvark – Nocturnal mammal that eats ants and termites
Antelope – Fast-running grazing mammal
Alligator – Large reptilian predator found in swamps

South American Species:

Alpaca – Domesticated relative of the llama
Armadillo – Mammal with protective armor plating
Anteater – Specialized insect-eating mammal
Axolotl – Aquatic salamander native to Mexico

Other Notable Animals:

Ape – Intelligent primate family (gorillas, chimps)
Albatross – Large seabird with impressive wingspan
Arctic fox – Cold-adapted fox with seasonal coat changes

Household Items that Start with A

Common items found in homes everywhere:

Time & Climate Control:

Alarm clock – Device for waking up at set times
Air conditioner – Cooling system for indoor comfort
Air purifier – Device removing airborne particles
Air freshener – Product for pleasant room scents

Furniture & Decor:

Armchair – Comfortable seating with arm supports
Album (photo) – Collection book for storing pictures
Ashtray – Container for cigarette ash (less common today)

Kitchen & Dining:

Apron – Protective clothing worn while cooking
Appetizer plate – Small dish for pre-meal snacks

Communication:

Answering machine – Device recording phone messages

Tools and Equipment that Start with A

Essential tools for construction, repair, and crafting:

Cutting & Shaping Tools:

Axe – Sharp tool for chopping wood
Adze – Curved blade tool for shaping wood
Awl – Pointed tool for making holes

Fastening & Adjustment:

Allen wrench – Hexagonal key for specific screws
Adjustable wrench – Variable-size gripping tool
Anvil – Heavy metal block for metalworking

Power Tools & Equipment:

Air compressor – Machine generating pressurized air
Angle grinder – Rotating disc tool for cutting/grinding
Auger – Spiral drill for boring holes
Arbor press – Lever-operated pressing tool

Sports Equipment that Starts with A

Gear for various athletic activities:

Target Sports:

Archery bow – Weapon for shooting arrows at targets
Arm guard – Protective gear for archery

Team Sports:

American football – Oval ball used in football games
Artificial turf – Synthetic grass for sports fields

Training & Fitness:

Athletic tape – Support tape for injury prevention
Ankle weights – Weighted straps for resistance training
Agility ladder – Ground ladder for footwork drills
Aerobic step – Platform for step-up exercises

Equipment Maintenance:

Air pump – Device for inflating balls and equipment
Athlete’s chalk – Grip-enhancing powder for sports

Musical Instruments that Start with A

String, wind, and percussion instruments:

String Instruments:

Acoustic guitar – Non-electric guitar with sound hole
Autoharp – Chord zither with button-operated dampers
Aeolian harp – Wind-activated string instrument

Wind Instruments:

Accordion – Bellows-operated keyboard instrument
Alto saxophone – Mid-range brass woodwind instrument
Alphorn – Long wooden horn from the Alps

Percussion:

Anvil – Metal percussion instrument struck with hammer

Why Learn Things That Start with A?

Understanding vocabulary organized by letters helps with:

Educational games like “I Spy” and word association
Language learning and alphabet recognition
Creative writing and storytelling
Memory improvement through categorization
Trivia games and word puzzles

These lists provide a variety of items starting with A across different categories – do you have any I have missed? If so add them in the comments section.

Items Starting With X

Children’s Characters that Start with the Letter A

This list of children’s characters that start with A might be useful to expand the objects you need for your lessons:

Alice (from Alice in Wonderland)
Aladdin
Asterix
Arthur (from Arthur the Aardvark)
Angelina Ballerina
Ariel (The Little Mermaid)
Ash Ketchum (from Pokémon)
Anna (from Frozen)
Alvin (from Alvin and the Chipmunks)
Alexander (from Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day)

Food Items That Start With A

This List of food items starting with A would be great for sensory play or teaching activities:

Apple
Apricot
Avocado
Asparagus
Artichoke
Almond
Arugula
Aubergine (eggplant)
Anchovies
Aioli
Alfredo sauce
Amaranth
Anise
Acorn squash

10 Sentences that Include Objects that Start with “A”

10 sentences with objects and vocabulary suitable for 4-5 year olds, all starting with the letter ‘a’:

The friendly ant crawled up the apple tree, looking for a tasty snack.
Amy hugged her soft, cuddly alligator toy before going to bed.
The shiny airplane flew high in the sky, leaving a white trail behind it.
Alex used his wooden abacus to count the colorful beads.
The big, red ambulance raced down the street with its siren wailing.
Anna put on her fuzzy animal slippers before walking to breakfast.
The class aquarium was full of pretty fish swimming around.
Adam loved playing with his toy action figures during playtime.
The teacher handed out sheets of alphabet stickers for the art project.
Ava carefully peeled her orange with her small apple slicer.

Phonics and Literacy Activities Using A-Objects

Use objects that begin with the letter A to make your phonics lessons tactile and engaging:

Sound Sorting

Place objects in a bag. Let children pull one out and decide:

Does it start with the /a/ sound?
Which A word is it — short A (apple) or long A (apron)?

Letter Tracing with Objects

Match an object with a large written “A” on paper.
Children trace around the object or decorate the letter with related stickers (e.g. apple stickers on a letter A outline).

A-Object Photo Wall

Create a visual display by:

Taking pictures of the children holding their show-and-tell item.
Adding captions: “Ali brought an apron!” or “Amy found an abacus!”

These activities reinforce phonemic awareness, vocabulary development, and early writing skills — all through hands-on, playful learning.

“A” Initial Letter Word Lesson plans

Boost your classroom engagement with these 10 interactive lesson plans using items that start with the letter A. Each activity is designed specifically for early learners, promoting cognitive development, fine motor skills, and social interaction.

Item	Learning Intention	Activity
Alphabet chart	Recognize letters and their sounds	“Letter Hunt”: Students find objects in the classroom that start with each letter on the chart.
Apple	Understand basic nutrition and colors	“Apple Exploration”: Cut apples in different ways, discuss colors, taste, and parts of the fruit.
Airplane	Introduce basic concepts of transportation and shapes	“Paper Plane Challenge”: Make simple paper airplanes, discuss shapes, and have a flying contest.
Alarm clock	Learn about time and daily routines	“Daily Schedule”: Use a toy alarm clock to create a visual classroom schedule.
Abacus	Develop early counting and addition skills	“Counting Beads”: Use the abacus to count objects and perform simple additions.
Art supplies	Explore creativity and fine motor skills	“Texture Painting”: Use various art supplies to create paintings with different textures.
Apron	Practice self-care and role-playing	“Little Helpers”: Wear aprons while doing classroom jobs or during pretend play activities.
Animal figures	Develop categorization and animal recognition skills	“Animal Sorting”: Sort animal figures by habitat, size, or type.
Air conditioner	Understand basic weather concepts	“Weather Station”: Use the air conditioner to discuss hot and cold, create a simple weather chart.
Acoustic guitar	Introduce rhythm and music appreciation	“Sing-Along Time”: Use the guitar for simple songs and encourage children to clap along to the rhythm.

Interactive Learning With Items Beginning With ‘A’

Elevate your early childhood curriculum with these carefully designed lesson plans featuring items that begin with the letter ‘A’. Each activity promotes holistic development while making learning enjoyable and meaningful for young children.

1. Alphabet Chart

Learning Goal: Letter recognition and phonemic awareness. Activity: Letter Detective

Display a colorful alphabet chart at children’s eye level
Provide magnifying glasses for children to become “letter detectives”
Challenge students to find objects in the classroom starting with specific letters
Document discoveries with photographs to create a class alphabet book
Extension: Add a sensory element by tracing sandpaper letters while saying the sounds

2. Apple

Learning Goal: Scientific observation and nutritional awareness Activity: Apple Scientists

Examine different apple varieties (Red Delicious, Granny Smith, Gala)
Create prediction charts: Which will be sweetest? Crunchiest?
Slice apples different ways to reveal star patterns in the core
Graph class favorites using real apple cutouts
Extension: Plant apple seeds and document growth over time

3. Airplane

Learning Goal: Physics concepts and spatial reasoning Activity: Flight Academy

Read “Amazing Airplanes” or similar picture book
Design and construct paper airplanes of varying complexity
Test flights outdoors, measuring distance with counting steps
Modify designs to improve performance
Extension: Create an airport dramatic play area with tickets, boarding passes, and maps

4. Alarm Clock

Learning Goal: Time concepts and daily routines Activity: Time Explorers

Introduce a child-friendly analog clock with movable hands
Create a visual daily schedule with clock faces showing activity times
Practice setting alarm clocks for transition times
Use timers for clean-up challenges (“Can we tidy up before the alarm rings?”)
Extension: Make paper plate clocks for children to take home

5. Abacus

Learning Goal: Number sense and early addition Activity: Counting Stories

Use abacus beads to visually represent number stories
Model one-to-one correspondence by sliding beads as you count
Create simple addition problems using different colored beads
Incorporate movement by having children “become” an abacus (moving across a line when counted)
Extension: Make mini-abacuses using pipe cleaners and beads

6. Art Supplies

Learning Goal: Creative expression and fine motor development Activity: Texture Studio

Gather various art supplies emphasizing different textures
Create a texture wall displaying materials from smooth to rough
Introduce vocabulary: rough, smooth, bumpy, soft, hard
Create collages incorporating multiple textures
Extension: Texture rubbings using crayons and paper over different surfaces

7. Apron

Learning Goal: Self-care skills and responsibility Activity: Community Helpers

Introduce different types of aprons used in various professions
Decorate classroom helper aprons for special jobs
Practice putting on and taking off aprons independently
Create a job chart with apron symbols
Extension: Make simple no-sew felt aprons for dramatic play

8. Animal Figures

Learning Goal: Classification and habitat knowledge Activity: Animal Homes

Create small-world habitats in sensory bins (ocean, farm, jungle)
Sort animal figures into appropriate habitats
Discuss why each animal belongs in its habitat
Create habitat dioramas using recycled materials
Extension: Animal movement games (“Move like a jungle animal”)

9. Air Conditioner

Learning Goal: Weather concepts and temperature awareness Activity: Weather Watchers

Create a classroom weather station near the air conditioner
Use thermometers to measure temperature changes
Discuss appropriate clothing for different temperatures
Create “hot” and “cold” collages from magazine pictures
Extension: Experiment with ice melting at different temperatures

10. Acoustic Guitar

Learning Goal: Auditory discrimination and musical appreciation Activity: Sound Explorers

Introduce the guitar’s parts and how it makes sound
Demonstrate different ways to play (strumming, plucking)
Compare sounds: loud/soft, fast/slow, high/low
Use the guitar to signal transitions through the day
Extension: Create homemade string instruments using boxes and rubber bands

Implementation Tips for Educators

These activities are designed to be flexible and adaptable across the early years spectrum (ages 2-5). Consider these approaches to maximize engagement:

For younger children: Simplify activities by focusing on exploration and sensory experiences
For older children: Add complexity through prediction, documentation, and more detailed discussions
For inclusive classrooms: Provide multiple ways to engage with each material (visual, tactile, auditory)
For family engagement: Send home simple extension activities using household items beginning with ‘A’

As you can see, there is an abundance of items beginning with the letter A that can be found in classrooms, nurseries, and kindergartens. From essential teaching aids like alphabet charts and art supplies to engaging hands-on materials like alphabet puzzles and animal figurines, the letter A provides an array of objects to support early learning.

Having this catalogue of items that start with A on hand can help spark creativity when planning lessons and activities. Incorporate some of these aids to build alphabet knowledge, nurture artistic expression, develop fine motor skills, and bring imaginative play into your classroom. With so many possibilities, there’s an A item for every educational aim and approach. Explore mixing and matching these materials to design rich, multisensory learning experiences that will captivate your students’ curiosities from A to Z.

Things That Begin With A In Your Home or Classroom