Make Your Own Twigs, Sticks, and Leaves Alphabet

Make Your Own Nature Letters

Create the alphabet with your preschoolers using twigs, sticks, and leaves for some nature based learning fun! During the preschool years there is a lot of focus on learning the alphabet. The alphabet takes center stage in singing songs, reading books and practicing letter sounds; with the ultimate goal of helping preschoolers identify and learn to write letters!
​Activities like this one are great for educators to keep on hand for providing fun, innovative and hands-on learning activities. 

While tracing and writing letters is an excellent activity to aid preschoolers in knowing the alphabet, it’s also essential to provide young learners with more open-ended activities that allow for hands-on learning. Loose parts are a great way for preschoolers to learn with no pre-determined rules making this one excellent way for preschoolers to practice building letters. Why not tie together the alphabet with loose parts? The fall is a great time to incorporate twigs, sticks, and leaves as an opportunity for preschoolers to practice building letters independently. Loose parts allow them to think, create, hypothesize, and problem-solve without expectations. This activity is straightforward and requires only a few items!

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Supplies:

You Will Need:

• Twigs
• Leaves
• Sticks
• Wooden disks 

Teacher tip: This activity can be combined with store-bought materials or materials preschoolers find on a nature hunt. Display the items on the table or in different baskets for preschoolers to grab.

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Directions:

Invite preschoolers to practicing making letters, we suggest starting with the letter of their name and slowly building on the letters. 

Encourage preschoolers to start with one item and build on the letters they go. It can be a bit overwhelming at first to build with multiple loose parts, as preschoolers navigate through this activity they will be able to create more complex letters.

Many preschoolers might benefit from having a sample letter to cover with the loose parts when they first begin. As they gain more skill and practice, they will be able to master the letters without the template. 

Many preschool classrooms have a large alphabet display, try using this method to make your own! You can make the letter on card stock with your preschoolers, then using hot glue to adhere them to the paper and continue this for all letters of the alphabet to create one long display! 

This activity is a simple way for preschoolers to get hands-on practice with the alphabet.

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Alphabet Formation Mats
Invitation to Play with Loose Parts
Leaves and Trees Activity Pack