Free Fall Preschool Printables: Alphabet Leaf Matching Activity
Fall is the perfect time to add a little seasonal fun to your preschool lessons! These free fall preschool printables help children practice uppercase letters, lowercase letters, and beginning letter sounds with colorful leaf matching cards.
They’re easy to prepare, simple to use, and flexible enough to work for preschool at home, in the classroom, or during your morning learning time.
What Is Included in This Free Fall Printable?
Each letter of the alphabet has four matching maple leaves:
- One uppercase letter
- One lowercase letter
- Two pictures that begin with that letter sound
For example, children can match the uppercase A, lowercase a, an acorn, and an apple. The colorful leaves make it easy to turn alphabet practice into a playful, hands-on activity.
Skills Your Preschooler Will Practice
These free fall preschool printables help children work on several important early-learning skills, including:
- Uppercase and lowercase letter recognition
- Beginning letter sounds
- Picture identification
- Visual discrimination
- Matching and sorting
- Fine-motor skills
- Memory and concentration
You can introduce only a few letters at a time or use the entire alphabet with children who are ready for more of a challenge.
How to Prepare the Alphabet Leaves
Print the pages on regular printer paper or cardstock. Cut around each leaf, and laminate the pieces if you would like to use them again and again.
For younger preschoolers, begin with two or three letter groups. As your child becomes more confident, gradually add additional letters.
To make it even easier and faster you could also cut around them without cutting the leaves out exactly.
Make a Four-Leaf Matching Game
Place the leaves face up on a table and ask your child to create groups of four. Each group should include the uppercase letter, lowercase letter, and two pictures with that beginning sound.
You can talk about each picture as your child works:
“Apple begins with A. Acorn begins with A. Can you find the uppercase and lowercase A leaves?”
This gives children practice hearing beginning sounds while also learning that uppercase and lowercase letters represent the same sound.
Turn It Into a Fall Memory Game
Choose several matching pairs and place the leaves face down on the table. Children can turn over two cards at a time as they search for a match.
You can match:
- Uppercase letters with lowercase letters
- Letters with beginning-sound pictures
- Two pictures that begin with the same sound
Start with a small number of cards so the game does not feel overwhelming. Add more matches as your child becomes comfortable with the activity.
Add the Leaves to a Sensory Bin
Hide the alphabet leaves in a bin filled with dried corn, pom-poms, shredded paper, or another favorite sensory material.
Invite your child to search for the leaves and group the matches together. You can also call out a letter and ask your child to find all four leaves that belong to it.
Always supervise sensory play, especially when using small fillers such as dried corn.
Play an Alphabet Hide-and-Seek Game
Hide the leaves around the room and let your preschooler hunt for them. Each time your child finds a leaf, ask them to name the letter or picture.
After all the leaves have been found, work together to create the matching groups. This is a fun way to combine movement with letter practice—especially for children who have difficulty sitting through traditional worksheets.
Keep the Activity Simple
You do not need to use every leaf at once. Preschoolers often learn better when they can focus on a small number of letters without becoming overwhelmed.
Try using:
- The letters in your child’s name
- Letters you have recently introduced
- Letters your child frequently confuses
- Three or four letter groups at a time
The goal is playful practice, not completing the entire alphabet in one sitting.
Grab Your Free Fall Preschool Printables
Ready to play? Download the alphabet leaf matching activity below, print the pages, and choose your favorite way to use them!
Grab Your Free Fall Preschool Printable Alphabet Leaf Matching Activity
More Fall Preschool Fun
Looking for another playful fall activity? Grab the Feed the Squirrel Counting Printable and let your preschooler practice counting by feeding the squirrel the correct number of acorns. Children can use the included number cards or roll one or two dice to decide how many acorns to feed the squirrel.
GET THE FEED THE SQUIRREL COUNTING PRINTABLE
You can also pair your alphabet leaves with this easy Fall Cloud Dough Recipe for even more seasonal sensory play. Hide a few laminated leaves in the cloud dough, add scoops and fall-themed accessories, and let your child explore.
GO TO THE FALL CLOUD DOUGH RECIPE
Get More Activities Inside The Playful Preschool Club
If you loved these free fall preschool printables, you’ll find even more hands-on learning activities inside The Playful Preschool Club. Members receive playful printable activities that make it easier to keep preschool fun without spending hours planning and preparing lessons.
