“D” is for dragon, donut, drum, and dinosaur! Time to get your preschoolers excited about all the possibilities for using words with the letter “D”. We have arts and crafts, letter animals, books, and more ideas for your little learners to be masters of spelling.
It is important when teaching young learners, to introduce new words many times in different contexts and forms for them to understand and be able to use them receptively and productively. Here are 20 of our favorite letter “D” activities for you to try out with your kiddos today!
1. Hand Puppet Dog
These cute letter D craft ideas are sure to have your preschoolers howling with excitement. Super simple to make, and easy to use, the materials you need to make these dog puppets are some colored construction paper, scissors, glue, and big googly eyes.
Learn more: Red Ted Art
2. Dandelion Recipes
These common yellow weeds are edible and delicious in a variety of recipes. Put students’ motor skills, creativity, and cooking talents to the test by asking them (with their guardian’s help) to use dandelions in a dish they can bring to share with the class. Another option, if your school has some on campus, is to bring your kids outside and pick fresh dandelion leaves to eat raw!
Learn more: The Priarie Homestead
3. “D” is for Dots!
There are so many letter D crafts you can do that incorporate dots. You can use washable paint and paintbrushes for color-coding letters and letter recognition. Give your preschoolers a piece of paper and let them create!
Learn more: The Kindergarten Connection
4. Magnets for Dad
We can’t forget “D” is for dad! Here is an adorable letter building craft you can do with your preschoolers using salt dough to make DIY magnets spelling out “dad”. To make the dough you’ll mix salt, flour, and water, then cut them out into letter shapes. When they are dry, paint them and put a magnet on the back. So simple!
Learn more: Crafts by Amanda
5. A Dime of a Time
Kids are never too young to understand the value of money. This “D” word “dime” means 10 cents, and we can use this coin and others to practice counting skills. You can either use real dimes, dime prints, or a dime rubber stamp. You can play basic category games, or heads or tails games to get kids excited and engaged.
Learn more: We Have Kids
6. Delicious….Dirt?
Want to teach your preschoolers how to make edible dirt? This is not a healthy recipe, but your kiddos will love it! Bring in some chocolate pudding, crushed chocolate cookies, gummy worms, and mix them together in a cup to enjoy some yummy dirt!
Learn more: Crystal and Comp
7. Dive with the Dolphins
First, help your students cut out letter D shapes in craft foam. You can make your design as simple or intricate as you see fit. There are foam dolphin cutouts, or you can give your students paintbrushes to create their own seascape in their foam letter D and bring the letter to life!
Learn more: That Bald Chick
8. Little Drummer Boy/Girl
This exciting letter activity involves students building their own mini drums from materials they can find at home or school. You can get creative with what you use, some options are plastic bags, rubber bands, an empty carton or container, and tape. Students can decorate their drums with stickers or paint, and they can use pencils/pens as drum sticks.
Learn more: How to Run a Home Day Care
9. Get Your Ducks in a Row
Bring some serious cuteness to the classroom with this fun letter alphabet craft using egg cartons, paints, cotton balls, and googly eyes. You kids can work in groups of 3-4 to build and assemble their duck pond and make it their own.
Learn more: Messy Little Monster
10. Dinosaur Crown
This dinosaur craft will blow your dinosaur fans minds! So easy to construct using green paper, scissors, glue, and tape. Help your little dinos piece together their crowns and let them play pretend.
Learn more: Paper and Glue
11. “D” is for Dump Truck
This interactive craft uses the lowercase letter shape to create the back of a dump truck. The instructions are easy to follow, cutting out pieces of different colored paper for the various truck parts, and adding a fastener to make it movable.
Learn more: Books and Giggles
12. “D” is for Delicious Donut
It’s snack time! Well…no it’s craft time, and the finished results will look too cute to eat! Grab some cardboard and show your preschoolers how to cut out a circle and then a smaller circle in the middle to create a donut shape. Then give them plenty of options for how they can decorate their donuts. Glitter as sprinkles, colored paper as frosting, and stickers for pizzazz!
Learn more: The Teaching Aunt
13. Read-Aloud Letter “D” Books
There are lists of books dedicated to exposing your kiddos to all the words that start with “D”. The link takes you to a list of great real-aloud books you can incorporate in-class time or read at home.
Learn more: ABCs of Literacy
14. “D” is for Dice
This active and multi-skilled game will help your preschoolers with counting and know another word that starts with “D”. You can use a regular die or make your own larger version with paper. Have your kids roll the die and see who is quickest to say the number.
Learn more: This Reading Mama
15. “D” is for Dragon
This adorable craft transforms a paper plate into a fire-breathing beast! Well, a pretty cute one, but still! Help your kiddos cut and glue together their dragons and let them get creative with the painting.
Learn more: Pinterest
16. Give Your Dog a Donut!
This cute craft combines two of preschoolers’ favorite things…dogs and donuts! You can make these little doggies in class and let your kiddos play with them all day long reinforcing these words.
Learn more: Pinterest
17. “D” is for Dolls
There are so many easy doll ideas out there to try with your students. This one shows you how to put together super simple popsicle stick dolls with sticks, yarn, buttons, and hot glue! Your kids will love playing games with them, dressing them up, and giving them names.
Learn more: Happy Hooligans
18. Dinosaur Footprint Desserts
This adorably delicious dessert is filled with letter “D” words, dessert, dinosaur, delicious! You can use a basic sugar cookie recipe and grab a few toy dinosaurs to make the footprints. Once the cookies are mixed and cut into circles the students can help place the footprints.
Learn more: Made to Be a Momma
19. Digging in the Dirt
This sensory activity combines hands-on learning with alphabet practice and don’t all kids love playing in the dirt? Put some dirt in a box and mix in alphabet letters. Ask your students to take turns pulling letters out and making simple words using the letter “D”.
Learn more: ABC See Hear Do
20. “D” is for Dark
Glow in the dark activities and crafts are always a class pleaser. There are tons of ideas you can choose from, but a fun one to try is glow-in-the-dark bubbles. You can make your student’s bubbles glow by adding a highlighter or glow stick liquid into the bubble solution. Next, turn off the classroom lights and watch the magic solution light up the dark!
Learn more: We Have Kids
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