Show Us Your City's First Letter with a Hand Sign
Make a hand sign that shapes the first letter of your city's name, practice it with friends, and safely photograph or record your sign.
Step-by-step guide to Show Us Your City's First Letter with a Hand Sign
Step 1
Say your city's name out loud and remember the first letter.
Step 2
Picture the shape of that first letter in your mind.
Step 3
Imagine how one hand or two hands could make that letter shape.
Step 4
Stand in a clear spot with good light.
Step 5
Stand in front of a mirror.
Step 6
Hold your hands up so you can see them in the mirror.
Step 7
Move your fingers and wrist until your hands look like the letter in the mirror.
Step 8
Hold the hand sign steady for five seconds so you can check how it looks.
Step 9
Show the sign to a friend or family member and ask them to copy it.
Step 10
Practice making the sign together three times.
Step 11
Choose a safe well-lit spot to take a photo or video of the sign.
Step 12
Ask an adult for permission and help to photograph or record your hand sign.
Step 13
Look at the photos or video and pick your favorite shot.
Step 14
Share your favorite photo or video of your hand-sign letter on DIY.org.
Help!?
What can we use if we don't have a mirror or a camera?
Use a glossy phone or tablet screen or a window reflection instead of a mirror, and use an adult's smartphone, tablet, or webcam to photograph or record the sign while following the instruction to ask an adult for permission and help.
My hands don't look like the letter in the mirror — what should I try?
Draw the first letter on paper and hold your hands above it while looking in the mirror, try using two hands to form different parts of the shape, ask a friend or family member to copy and give feedback, then hold the sign steady for five seconds and practice three times as the steps suggest.
How can we adapt this activity for younger or older kids?
For younger children, have an adult or older sibling gently position their hands and help take the photo while they hold the sign for five seconds, and for older kids challenge them to record a video spelling the whole city name with a sequence of hand signs and edit it before sharing on DIY.org.
How can we make the hand-sign photo more creative or personal?
Choose a safe well-lit spot with a colorful background or a small city-related prop or costume, try different camera angles or a short video clip, then look at the photos or video, pick your favorite shot, and share it on DIY.org as the instructions direct.
Watch videos on how to Show Us Your City's First Letter with a Hand Sign
Sign Language Basics | Toddlers ASL | My First Signs: See and Sign With Baby | Baby Einstein
4 Videos
Sign Language Basics | Toddlers ASL | My First Signs: See and Sign With Baby | Baby Einstein
Practicing Basic Sign Language for Children
ABC Cities for Children - Learn Alphabet with World Cities for Toddlers & Kids
See It, Say It, Sign It! | Vol. 3 | ASL for Kids! | Jack Hartmann
Facts about hand signs and safe photography
🖐️ There are over 300 sign languages around the world, many of which include their own manual alphabets for spelling.
🤟 Some manual alphabets use one hand (like American Sign Language) while others use two hands (like British Sign Language).
🌍 City names come from languages, history, or landmarks, so the same first letter can tell very different stories in different places.
📸 Most smartphones have autofocus and framing guides that help capture clear photos of hand signs when you record or snap a picture.
🧩 Arrange friends each making a letter to create a human mosaic—combine photos to spell whole city names for a cool group project!
How to make a hand sign that shapes the first letter of your city's name and record it safely?
What materials do I need to make and photograph a hand sign of my city's first letter?
What ages is the hand-sign city-letter activity suitable for?
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