Free Printable Popsicle Letter Matching Game for Preschool
Bring a little summer fun to your alphabet practice! This free printable popsicle letter matching game gives preschoolers and kindergarteners a colorful way to practice matching uppercase and lowercase letters.
When I taught preschool, I liked having a variety of simple activities for our classroom centers. We practiced letters throughout the year, and changing the pictures or theme helped keep a familiar activity interesting.
These popsicle puzzles are one of the games I created. Each popsicle is split into two pieces for children to match and put back together. There are several letter matching options, plus a set without letters for children who are not quite ready for alphabet practice.
Use them for a summer preschool center, an ice cream theme, or a little learning time at home. No actual popsicles required!
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What is Included in this Free Popsicle Letter Matching Game?
This printable includes four different matching sets:
- Uppercase to uppercase: Match the same capital letters, such as A and A.
- Lowercase to lowercase: Match the same lowercase letters, such as a and a.
- Uppercase to lowercase: Match a capital letter with its lowercase partner, such as A and a.
- Popsicles without letters: Match the pictures to put each popsicle together.
All three alphabet sets include letters A through Z. The popsicles come in a variety of bright colors and designs, with four matching pairs arranged on each page.
You only need to print the set you want to use! Start with the option that fits what your children are learning, and save the others for later.
I always appreciated activities that could work for more than one skill level. The picture matching set makes it easy to include younger children too.
How to Prepare your Popsicle Letter Matching Game
These popsicle puzzles only take a few steps to get ready.
- Choose which matching set and pages you want to use.
- Print on regular paper or cardstock.
- Cut apart the cards along the lines, separating each popsicle into two halves.
- Laminate the individual pieces for durability, if desired.
Be sure to cut the pieces apart before laminating. This lets you seal each half individually so the cards hold up better with repeated use.
If you are preparing these for a preschool or kindergarten center, I recommend laminating them. A little preparation now means you can use the same game again next time you use an ice cream theme. This is the personal laminator I bought as a new teacher and it is worth every penny.
How to Use this Popsicle Letter Matching Game
Spread the pieces on a table and have children find the two halves that belong together. When they make a match, they will have a complete popsicle.
For children who are beginning to recognize letters, choose the uppercase-to-uppercase or lowercase-to-lowercase set. Once they are familiar with both, try matching uppercase letters to lowercase letters.
Start with just a few pairs instead of putting out the entire alphabet. You could use letters you have already introduced or choose the letters in your child’s name. Add more pairs as your children are ready.
As they complete each popsicle, ask them to name the letter. You can practice its sound too, if that is a skill you are working on.
The set without letters is another easy place to begin – with a simple popsicle matching or memory game. Children can look at the colors and designs to find the matching halves. It gives them practice with matching pictures before you add letters to the activity. You could also place a few popsicle pairs face down and take turns flipping over two pieces to play memory and find a match.
These popsicle puzzles would work well for:
- Summer preschool centers
- An ice cream or summer theme
- Kindergarten alphabet review
- Small group letter practice
- A simple printable activity at home
If your children enjoy this activity, try my free printable apple letter matching game or free printable crayon letter matching game for another theme.
Download your Free Printable Popsicle Letter Matching Game
Print your chosen pages, cut apart the pieces, and you have a simple matching activity ready for your children.
As a former teacher, I know how much time goes into preparing classroom centers. I hope these popsicle puzzles save you a little time and give your children another fun way to practice their letters!
