Yes tried that before when my daugther was a baby.
Not very effective. I would recommend to let them listen to
phonic song and when they reach 3 or 4 send them to phonic class.
You will be surprise how phonic can help young children to read and spell.
You can check out Bugis and China town there are a few cheap party supply stores or order it from online supply store.
If you need some party ideas. You can visit this web site www.kid-party-idea.com