Looking for a Hindi varnamala activity for Class 1 that gets the whole room moving, not just copying letters into a notebook? Children in Class 1 and 2 learn the alphabet faster when they hunt for letters, build them, sort them and play with them. A good activity also gives the teacher a quick way to see who is confusing घ with ध, or ब with व.
Print-ready worksheets for this topic
Hindi Varnamala Tracing Worksheets PDF – Swar & Vyanjan (स्वर और व्यंजन) with Picture Words, Ages 3–6 (48 Pages) – A4 PDF, instant download. ₹99 ₹199
This page collects 15 classroom activity ideas, chart and craft projects, a materials table and a free set of flashcard strips you can copy onto card today. Each activity has simple steps, so you can pick one for tomorrow’s period without extra planning.
🧰 Make practice more fun at home
As an Amazon Associate, Homework Hiccups earns from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.
Quick answer: Popular Hindi varnamala activities for Class 1 and 2 include:
- Charts and projects: varnamala tree, akshar train, swar-vyanjan wall chart, my varnamala book.
- Games: letter hunt in newspapers, flashcard snap, akshar bingo, letter hopscotch.
- Hands-on: clay or dough letters, sorting baskets, look-alike letter detective.
- Teaching aids: flashcards with picture words, a शिरोरेखा floor line, letter fans.
Before you start: the letters
Most schools teach 13 swar (अ आ इ ई उ ऊ ऋ ए ऐ ओ औ अं अः) and 33 vyanjan in groups, followed by the joined letters क्ष, त्र and ज्ञ. Some books also show श्र, ड़ and ढ़. The vyanjan groups are:
- क ख ग घ ङ
- च छ ज झ ञ
- ट ठ ड ढ ण
- त थ द ध न
- प फ ब भ म
- य र ल व
- श ष स ह
- क्ष त्र ज्ञ (joined letters)
Follow your school book for the exact list, and keep the same order in every chart so children see one consistent picture. Our Hindi barakhadi chart shows how these letters combine with matras in the next step.
15 ideas for a Hindi varnamala activity for Class 1 and 2
1. Varnamala tree (chart and craft)
- Draw or paste a large brown trunk on chart paper.
- Give each child two or three paper leaves.
- Children write one letter on each leaf, with a small drawing of a word that starts with it.
- Stick swar leaves on one branch and vyanjan leaves on the others, group by group.
The finished hindi varnamala tree activity makes a lovely display and a revision chart in one.
2. Akshar train
Make one engine (labelled स्वर or व्यंजन) and paper coaches. Each coach carries one letter. Children arrange coaches in order along the wall. For revision, remove three coaches and ask, “Which coaches are missing?”
3. Letter hunt in newspapers
Give pairs an old Hindi newspaper page and a crayon. Call out a letter: “Find and circle five क.” Change the letter every minute. Children quickly see that letters live inside real words.
4. Flashcard snap
Two children each hold a pile of letter cards. They turn one card at a time; if both cards match, the first to say the letter aloud keeps the pile. Use the free flashcard list below.
5. Swar and vyanjan sorting baskets
Label two baskets स्वर and व्यंजन. Mix letter cards and let children sort them. Great for the beginning of Class 1, when swar and vyanjan are still mixed up.
6. शिरोरेखा floor line
Stick a long strip of masking tape on the floor as the headline. Children “write” a letter with their bodies or with rope below it, showing how Hindi letters hang from the top line.
7. Clay or atta dough letters
Children roll snakes of clay and shape a letter on a card printed with the outline. Shaping a letter with fingers fixes its form in memory far better than copying.
8. Letter–picture match
Put letter cards on one side of the table and picture cards on the other: क – कबूतर, ख – खरगोश, ग – गमला. Children match each pair and say both aloud.
9. Akshar bingo
Each child gets a 3 by 3 grid with nine letters. The teacher calls letters, or says a word and children mark its first letter. The first full row wins.
10. Letter of the day
Choose one letter each morning. Children bring or draw one thing that starts with it, then share in a two-minute circle. By the end of the term, every letter has a class word.
11. Letter hopscotch
Chalk a hopscotch grid with a letter in each box. A child hops and says each letter as they land, or the teacher calls a letter and the child jumps to it.
12. Look-alike letter detective
Write pairs that children often confuse: घ – ध, भ – म, ब – व, प – ष, थ – य, ड – ङ. Children circle the small difference in a different colour. A short daily warm-up prevents months of mistakes.
13. Missing letter strip
Write a group on the board with gaps: क ख ___ घ ङ. Children write the missing letter on mini whiteboards and hold them up. Quick to check for the whole class.
14. Make a word (Class 2 or advanced Class 1)
Hand out letter cards and challenge groups to make real words without matras: घ + र = घर, न + ल = नल, क + म + ल = कमल. Our list of two letter words in Hindi gives plenty of words to use.
15. My varnamala book (project)
A classic hindi varnamala project for Class 1: each child makes a small book with one letter per page, a drawing and a word. Staple, add a cover, and send it home to read with family.
Materials for each activity
| Activity | Materials | Time | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Varnamala tree | chart paper, brown paper, green leaves, glue | 2 periods | whole class |
| Akshar train | coloured paper, sketch pens, tape | 1 period | whole class |
| Letter hunt | old Hindi newspapers, crayons | 15 min | pairs |
| Flashcard snap | letter cards | 10 min | pairs |
| Sorting baskets | 2 baskets, letter cards | 10 min | small groups |
| Floor line | masking tape, rope | 15 min | whole class |
| Clay letters | clay or atta dough, outline cards | 20 min | small groups |
| Letter–picture match | letter and picture cards | 10 min | small groups |
| Akshar bingo | printed grids, counters or pencils | 15 min | whole class |
| Letter hopscotch | chalk, open floor | 15 min | outdoor |
| Look-alike detective | board, coloured chalk | 5 min | daily warm-up |
| Missing letter strip | mini whiteboards or slates | 5 min | whole class |
| Make a word | letter cards | 15 min | groups of 3 |
| My varnamala book | A5 sheets, stapler, crayons | 1 week | project |
Hindi varnamala chart ideas for school
A good classroom chart is big, uncluttered and readable from the last bench. A few ideas that work well:
- Two-colour chart: swar in one colour, vyanjan in another, so the two groups are obvious at a glance.
- Group rows: write vyanjan in their rows of five (क to ङ, च to ञ and so on), which helps children remember the order.
- Picture chart: each letter in a box with a small drawing of its word. Keep pictures simple and familiar.
- Pocket chart: paper pockets with removable letter cards. Use it for the missing letter game.
- Look-alike corner: a small chart only for confusing pairs, with the difference circled.
Hindi varnamala craft ideas
- Bottle cap letters: write letters on old bottle caps for matching and word-building.
- Paper plate letter faces: one big letter in the middle and a drawing of its word around it.
- Letter crowns: each child wears a strip crown with their letter of the week.
- Rangoli letters: trace a big letter with chalk and fill it with coloured rice or flower petals.
- Thread and glue letters: glue wool along a letter outline for a texture card children can trace with a finger.
Prefer ready-to-print pages?
Hindi Varnamala Tracing Worksheets PDF – Swar & Vyanjan (स्वर और व्यंजन) with Picture Words, Ages 3–6 (48 Pages) – A4 PDF, instant download. ₹99 ₹199
Free printable flashcard strips
Copy each row onto a strip of card about 20 cm long: letter on the left, picture word in the middle, and a small drawing on the right. Cut in half to make separate letter and word cards for matching games. These are common picture words; swap any word for the one your school book uses.
| Letter | Word | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| क | कबूतर | kabootar | pigeon |
| ख | खरगोश | khargosh | rabbit |
| ग | गमला | gamla | flower pot |
| घ | घड़ी | ghadi | clock |
| च | चम्मच | chammach | spoon |
| छ | छतरी | chhatri | umbrella |
| ज | जहाज | jahaaz | ship |
| झ | झंडा | jhanda | flag |
| ट | टमाटर | tamaatar | tomato |
| ठ | ठेला | thela | handcart |
| ड | डमरू | damroo | small hand drum |
| ढ | ढोल | dhol | drum |
| त | तरबूज | tarbooz | watermelon |
| थ | थाली | thaali | plate |
| द | दरवाज़ा | darwaaza | door |
| ध | धनुष | dhanush | bow |
| न | नल | nal | tap |
| प | पतंग | patang | kite |
| फ | फल | phal | fruit |
| ब | बत्तख | battakh | duck |
| भ | भालू | bhaalu | bear |
| म | मछली | machhli | fish |
| य | योग | yog | yoga |
| र | रथ | rath | chariot |
| ल | लट्टू | lattoo | spinning top |
| व | वकील | vakeel | lawyer |
| श | शेर | sher | lion |
| ष | षट्कोण | shatkon | hexagon |
| स | सेब | seb | apple |
| ह | हाथी | haathi | elephant |
| क्ष | क्षत्रिय | kshatriya | warrior |
| त्र | त्रिशूल | trishool | trident |
| ज्ञ | ज्ञानी | gyaani | wise person |
ङ, ञ and ण rarely begin words, so show them inside words instead: ङ in पङ्खा (fan, often written पंखा), ञ in पञ्जा (paw or open hand), and ण in बाण (arrow). For swar flashcards, use अनार, आम, इमली, ईख, उल्लू, ऊन, ऋषि, एड़ी, ऐनक, ओखली, औरत and अंगूर.
Hindi varnamala teaching aids worth making once
- Letter fans: strips of card joined with a split pin, one letter per strip. Children fan to the right letter and hold it up.
- Big dice: a cardboard box with a letter on each face; roll and say a word.
- Sand tray: a shallow tray of sand or sooji for finger tracing.
- Wall strip: one long strip of the full varnamala above the board, at children’s eye level.
For more ready-to-print classroom material, browse our printable kids learning templates.
Follow-up worksheets after the activity
Activities build excitement; short written practice makes it stick. The Hindi Varnamala Tracing Worksheets PDF (48 A4 pages) gives a line warm-up, all 13 swar one per page and vyanjan two per page from क to ज्ञ, each with big dotted letters on Hindi writing lines and a picture word. It also includes swar matching, circle the letter, look-alike letters, missing swar and vyanjan pages, Hindi numbers १ to १०, a full revision chart for the wall, an answer key, a letter tracker and a certificate. It is designed for ages 3–6, so in Class 1 it works best as revision for children who need extra support.
Get the Hindi Varnamala Tracing Pack – ₹99
Once letters are secure, move on to blending with the Hindi Two & Three Letter Words Pack (₹99, 38 pages), then matras.
See the Hindi Two & Three Letter Words Pack – ₹99
Licence: personal or single-classroom use, printable on A4. Browse all Hindi worksheets and Class 1 worksheets.
🧸 Learning toys kids love
As an Amazon Associate, Homework Hiccups earns from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good Hindi varnamala activity for Class 1?
A letter hunt in old Hindi newspapers, flashcard snap, akshar bingo and the varnamala tree are all popular. They are quick to set up and let the teacher see which letters children still confuse.
How do you make a Hindi varnamala tree?
Draw a large trunk on chart paper, give each child a few paper leaves, and ask them to write one letter and draw a matching word on each leaf. Stick swar on one branch and vyanjan on the others.
How many letters are there in the Hindi varnamala?
Many schools teach 13 swar and 33 vyanjan, plus the joined letters क्ष, त्र and ज्ञ. Some books also include श्र, ड़ and ढ़, so the total varies slightly between books.
Which Hindi letters do children confuse most?
Common pairs are घ and ध, भ and म, ब and व, प and ष, and थ and य. A short daily look-alike warm-up where children circle the difference helps a lot.
What is a simple Hindi varnamala project for Class 1?
A my varnamala book works well: one letter per page with a drawing and a word, stapled into a booklet that children can read at home with family.
