Letter Recognition Activity – DIY Game to Learn the ABCs
This DIY letter recognition activity is where learning the ABCs & cutting skills collide! Pick the alphabet fruit and match it to the basket! Keep on reading to find out how to make it out of recycled materials and common craft supplies! Plus, get the pre-printable version if you are short on time and can’t make the DIY version!
Where Letter Recognition and Scissor Skills Collide!
This is such a tactile way to learn letters! Cutting off the alphabet fruit is not only fun, but great for cutting skills which is one of the best fine motor activities to build muscle strength in the hands and fingers! Once the game is played with once, you can either re-glue on the alphabet fruit to the tree for more cutting practice next time, or you could skip the cutting and use velcro stickers instead!
All activities should be supervised by an adult. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links.
How to Make This Letter Recognition Activity
This DIY game will take more than a few minutes to create, but will be well worth the effort! Plus, if you choose to craft the tree and basket together with your kiddos, it’s an added arts and crafts activity! The best part is that the supplies are so simple – we love reusing paper towel tubes!
Of course, if you don’t have time to make this DIY game, keep on reading to get our free printable version that is quicker to set up!
How to Make This Letter Recognition Activity
This DIY game will take more than a few minutes to create, but will be well worth the effort! Plus, if you choose to craft the tree and basket together with your kiddos, it’s an added arts and crafts activity! The best part is that the supplies are so simple – we love reusing paper towel tubes!
Of course, if you don’t have time to make this DIY game, keep on reading to get our free printable version that is quicker to set up!
Free Printable Version of This Letter Recognition Activity
I know that grown ups get busy, and it may be hard to find the time to make DIY learning games like this. That’s why we made a printable version of this letter recognition activity! And it’s totally FREE! It will be quicker to set up and yet will still provide all the great letter learning skills that the DIY version does! You can also task your kiddo to cut out the apples and they’ll also get the added bonus of a cutting skills activity!
If you are looking for more printable activities related to the alphabet, be sure to check out our Alphabet Tracing Cards, Alphabet Flash Cards, and our Alphabet Matching Puzzle as well.
And don’t miss our full comprehensive list of alphabet learning activities!
Materials
- 2 Paper Tubes
- Paper
- Glue
- Cardboard
- Adhesive Paper
- Markers
- Kid-Friendly Scissors
Step-by-Step Instructions
To Make the Tree:
Step 1
Cut one paper roll into three pieces and then glue them together to make the branches.
Step 2
On the other paper roll, create some slits to slide the branches into.
Step 3
Cut out the leaves and glue them to the tree.
Step 4
Cut out the circles for the fruit and write down the letters of the alphabet on them.
Step 5
Glue the circles onto the tree by the stem only.
To Make the Basket:
Step 1
Draw a basket on top of a piece of cardboard, making circles with lowercase letters on them to match with the alphabet fruit.
Step 2
Tape sticky paper (sticky side up) onto the cardboard so that the fruit cutouts can be stuck on them.
To Play:
Give the kids scissors and let them cut the fruit. Have them say the letter that they have out loud and then have them stick it onto the matching letter on the fruit basket.
To Make the Tree:
Step 1
Cut one paper roll into three pieces and then glue them together to make the branches.
Step 2
On the other paper roll, create some slits to slide the branches into.
Step 3
Cut out the leaves and glue them to the tree.
Step 4
Cut out the circles for the fruit and write down the letters of the alphabet on them.
Step 5
Glue the circles onto the tree by the stem only.
To Make the Basket:
Step 1
Draw a basket on top of a piece of cardboard, making circles with lowercase letters on them to match with the alphabet fruit.
Step 2
Tape sticky paper (sticky side up) onto the cardboard so that the fruit cutouts can be stuck on them.
To Play:
Give the kids scissors and let them cut the fruit. Have them say the letter that they have out loud and then have them stick it onto the matching letter on the fruit basket.
The Educational Benefits of This Letter Recognition Activity
The most significant advantage of this activity is that it’s a really fun way for the kids to work on learning the alphabet. The more that they see, touch, feel, and say letters, the faster they’re going to learn them. This is an extra fun way to start making the connections between uppercase and lowercase letters.
Kids will also love being able to use their fine motor skills to work on their cutting practice too. This will help them cut out the fruit and then use their fingers to find and match the same letter.
The Educational Benefits of This Letter Recognition Activity
The most significant advantage of this activity is that it’s a really fun way for the kids to work on learning the alphabet. The more that they see, touch, feel, and say letters, the faster they’re going to learn them. This is an extra fun way to start making the connections between uppercase and lowercase letters.
Kids will also love being able to use their fine motor skills to work on their cutting practice too. This will help them cut out the fruit and then use their fingers to find and match the same letter.
More Ways to Encourage Alphabet Learning
Here are my top picks for letter recognition activities that teach both uppercase and lowercase letters!
Wooden Uppercase and Lowercase Matching Puzzle
This beautifully crafted interlocking wooden puzzle is a great way to explore uppercase and lowercase letters.
ABC Picture Puzzles
This picture puzzle is not only a great letter recognition activity, but can be used for word creation, color recognition, memory, and fine motor skills!
Alphabet Popsicle Match
This hands on alphabet recognition game is a fun way to match uppercase and lowercase letters!
Alphabet Worm Puzzle
This fun puzzle is shaped like a worm. By including both lowercase and uppercase letters, this is a fun way for kids to be able to match the alphabet!
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