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D is for Delicious! Letter D: Preschool Activities and Lesson Plan

What a joy it is to see your kids discover and learn about the world around them. They begin each day with such enthusiasm and dive into life at full speed. They question, (if only I had a chocolate for every time I have answered “Why?”) and process. Those “ah-ha” moments are sheer bliss. What a great responsibility we have to encourage that curiosity and teach them how to learn. With the next portion of these alphabet lessons, we’ll focus on helping our Littles recognize ways they can investigate their world using their five senses. We start today with this free preschool lesson plan Letter D is for Delicious!

Free Preschool Alphabet Lesson Plan for D. Click through for tons of hands-on learning ideas for letter D is Delicious from www.lovinlifewithlittles.com. #letterdlessonplan #letterd #dlessonplan #fivesensesforpreschool #senseoftaste #letteroftheweekd #letteroftheweek #handsonlearning #learningthroughplay

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Alphabet Preschool Lessons

Before we get into the details of today’s plan, I want to mention that I hope your home preschool adventures are going well. I hope that these lesson plans are helpful for you. If you have suggestions for how they could be more helpful, please let me know in the comments below.

If you haven’t seen my quick tips for getting started with successful home preschool, check them out. This is the fourth in our Alphabet Lesson Plan Series. You can find the first three lessons HERE.

Feel free to use and share these plans to talk, sing, read, write, and play your way through the alphabet. These are the foundational habits of raising a strong reader. You can use our full lesson plans, or, of course, pick individual activities to do with the Littles in your life. I am also a budget-friendly Mama, so no worries there: our activities are always easy on the pocketbook.

You can visit the Preschool Lesson Plan Index to see what free plans are published or in the works!

Now, let’s get to it!

Click image to have a free checklist for this Preschool Lesson Plan sent to your inbox. This checklist is the easiest way to make these educational, fun, and hands-on lessons happen. Simplify your preschool experience with www.lovinlifewithlittles.com! #preschool #homepreschool #preschoolchecklist #simplepreschoolideas #letteroftheweek #preschoollessonplan #freepreschoollessonplan
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Update: You can now get ALL of the Alphabet Lesson Plans, Checklists, and Printables, (plus Bonus Ideas and 75+ exclusive preschool printables!) all in one budget-friendly digital product…A to Z and Beyond! Preschool Curriculum.

Learn More about A to Z and Beyond!

INTRODUCTION to Letter D Preschool Lesson Plan

We began by singing our Welcome Song. We were lucky today to have our “big kids” home from school and joining us for Mommy Preschool! As my oldest was the one to introduce us to “Hello to All the Children in the World,” she was really excited to see that we have been learning it together. So, we all sang along voraciously!

PLAY: Pipe Cleaner Letter D

I introduced the shape of capital D. Before preschool, I had cut a few pipe cleaners in half. Now I gave each of the kids two pieces. They then bent and twisted the pipe cleaners to make a big letter D and then a lowercase d. After figuring out those two, they made whatever letters they wanted.

Letter D from pipe cleaners. This is a fun way to practice letters. Click through for tons of hands-on learning activities in the free preschool lesson plan Letter D is for Delicious from www.lovinlifewithlittles.com. #letterd #creativealphabetideas #letterdpreschoollesson #preschoolactivities #letterofthweek #letteroftheweekd

PLAY: Letter D Charades

After learning what D looks like, it was time to practice with what D sounds like. To do so, we played Charades, which was so much fun and a great way to introduce the sound D makes! Kids never tire of this classic game that can be adapted to any topic.

We can use the Letter D Charades Printable that’s included in the free Lesson Plan Checklist to get your game going! First, print out the cards and cut them apart. Then, take turns getting the others to guess what’s on the card by acting. For young kids, you can allow a few sounds if that makes it more fun for them. 

Letter D Charades is a really fun way to practice the words that begin with D. Click through for tons more hands-on learning activities in the free preschool lesson plan Letter D is Delicious from www.lovinlifewithlittles.com. #letterd #freepreschoollessonplan #preschoollessonplan #charades #letterdcharades #letterdgame #funwiththealphabet #learningthroughplay
The Letter D Charades are included in the Free Lesson Plan Checklist. Click the image to have the Checklist sent to your Inbox.

Can you guess what word he is acting out that begins with the letter D?

As a challenge, kids can think of their own words to act out that begin with D. The last word I acted out was “discover.” That led us to our next activity.  (Younger kids may not guess this word in which case you could just move on without acting it out.)

READ: No One But You

Discover is such a great word! What does it mean to discover? It is so much fun to investigate the world around us. We have been given many tools to make those discoveries. In order to introduce some of the ways we discover the world around us, we read the book No One But You by Douglas Wood.

Free Preschool Alphabet Lesson Plan for D: Book recommendation is No One But You by Douglas Wood.

Click image for purchasing information.

This book is affirming prose about discovering the world in the way only you can, through your own senses. The illustrations are beautiful. It is not overtly a “senses” book, which I appreciated as it led to more feeling. The emotion of the book helps the details stick with us. The book led to thinking and discussion about learning about the world.

While most of us loved the book, one of my kids was adamant that “It’s not only you! Lots of people can do that!” 😉 More literal thinkers may appreciate a more literal introduction to the senses, such as My Five Senses By Aliki.

Free Preschool Alphabet Lesson Plan for D: Book recommendation is My Five Senses by Aliki.

Click image for purchasing information.

The sentences in this book are simple and geared toward younger readers.  The story can be enhanced with questions and interaction.

TALK: The Five Senses

After reading we discussed in what ways the kids in the story learned about the world. That led to very briefly telling the five senses: touch, taste, smell, hear, and see. Today we will “Discover Delicious” as we focus on the sense of taste. 

SING: I Like to Eat Apples and Bananas

Everyone loves tasting food, but first, let’s sing about it! Immediately, an old-time favorite from my own childhood came to mind: “I like to eat, eat, eat apples and bananas!” Each verse brings a simple change in pronunciation that everyone enjoys.

PLAY and WRITE: Discovering Delicious

I chose several different ingredients that I had on hand and put each in a separate bowl. The ingredients all looked similar. I used salt, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, powdered milk, and flour.

Discovering Delicious is a fun, simple preschool experiment. Click through for the free printable and lots more hands-on Letter D activities in the free preschool lesson plan D is for Delicious from www.lovinlifewithlittles.com. #letterdpreschool #freelessonplanford #handsonlearning #learningthroughplay #preschoolscience #letterdactivities #letteroftheweek #letteroftheweekd #freeprintable #freepreschoolprintable

The kids used cotton swabs dipped in water to taste each one. (The water helps the powders stick to the swab.) Use a different swab for each taste to prevent germs from spreading.

Discovering Delicious is a fun, simple preschool experiment. Click through for the free printable and lots more hands-on Letter D activities in the free preschool lesson plan D is for Delicious from www.lovinlifewithlittles.com. #letterdpreschool #freelessonplanford #handsonlearning #learningthroughplay #preschoolscience #letterdactivities #letteroftheweek #letteroftheweekd #freeprintable #freepreschoolprintable
The Discovering Delicious Printable is included in the free Preschool Lesson Plan Checklist. Click image to have Checklist sent to your Inbox.

For the youngest (age 4), it was a comparing activity as he ranked the ingredients from “Most Delicious” to “Least Delicious.” 

Discovering Delicious is a fun, simple preschool experiment. Click through for the free printable and lots more hands-on Letter D activities in the free preschool lesson plan D is for Delicious from www.lovinlifewithlittles.com. #letterdpreschool #freelessonplanford #handsonlearning #learningthroughplay #preschoolscience #letterdactivities #letteroftheweek #letteroftheweekd #freeprintable #freepreschoolprintable

To incorporate writing, label each ingredient with a letter. Use the Discovering Delicious Printable (included in Free Preschool Lesson Plan Checklist) to have the kids record how they like the different ingredients, and then write the labels in order from Most Delicious to Least Delicious.

The older kids enjoyed making a tongue map and figuring out if some parts of the tongue tasted various foods differently. (Note that while different parts of the tongue are not entirely responsible for different tastes, slight differences can be detected.)

As they tasted we also talked about which ingredients were sweet, sour, salty, bitter, etc.  We finished by washing down those less delicious tastes with a small sour then sweet treat…Sour Patch Kids!  Yummers!

Talk: Trying New Foods

After we finished tasting the different ingredients, we gathered back in our circle. We talked about how you couldn’t tell by looking at the ingredients whether or not they tasted good. For that same reason, it is really important to try new foods. You might end up liking them!

However, are there some things we should not try? We don’t eat foods from strangers or things that are bad for our bodies. We talked briefly about how smoking and other drugs are bad for us, and if someone offers for us to try those we “Just say, ‘No!'”

Read: Books about Eating Food

A great book here for a preschool crowd is Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss.

Free Preschool Alphabet Lesson Plan for D: Book recommendation is Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss.

Click image for purchasing information.

In this classic book, the main character is absolutely positive he does not like green eggs and ham. But after being bugged and bothered by Sam I Am, he decides to give them a try after all.

Since we do read Green Eggs and Ham a lot at our house, I chose The Berenstain Bears & Too Much Junk Food by Stan and Jan Berenstain.

Free Preschool Alphabet Lesson Plan for D: Book recommendation is Berenstain Bears and Too Much Junk Food.

Click image for purchasing information.

I love the way the Berenstain’s approach life and solve all of its problems. Mama Bear is the original Supernanny! In Too Much Junk Food the bears learn about eating healthy and exercising.

If you’re not familiar with the Berenstain Bears, check them out for sure.  They offer simple, common sense solutions for every occasion through stories kids enjoy.  A couple others we like are The Berenstain Bears and the Messy Room and The Berenstain Bears and the Tooth Fairy (why do some cubs get 25 cents and others a whole dollar?)

Talk: Healthy Food Choices

After reading, we reviewed a few of the concepts discussed in the book. Our bodies need many kinds of nutrients in order to function properly. These nutrients come from different kinds of food. Therefore, in order to be healthy, we need to eat a variety of foods in moderation, with limited sweets. I showed them a picture of the US Government’s MyPlate and mentioned that it’s a good idea to try to have half of our food be fruits and vegetables.

MyPlate is a helpful way to talk about making healthy eating choices. Click through for tons more activities in the free preschool lesson plan Letter D is for Delicious from www.lovinlifewithlittles.com. #letterdlessonplan #letterd #dlessonplan #fivesensesforpreschool #senseoftaste #letteroftheweekd #letteroftheweek #healthyeating #handsonlearning #teachingnutritiontopreschoolers
Image from choosemyplate.gov.

PLAY: Food Sort

Using plastic play food (you could also use real food or pictures of food) we sorted foods into the different food groups. You could also make it more simple by sorting into “Healthy” and “Not Healthy.”

For any kind of food sorting, there are not always right and wrong answers. The important thing is to get kids thinking about what is in the foods we eat and what those different foods do for our bodies. 

SING: “Aiken Drum”

Aiken Drum” is a fun song about a man living in the moon whose body parts are all made of different foods.  It’s a fun idea to let kids choose what foods those are.  (I love that in one video I watched the singers went with one child’s suggestion that the pants are made of Dino Nuggets! 😉

WRITE: Letter D is for Delicious Collage

Our last activity was making a collage using the D is for Delicious! Collage Printable, which is included in the Free Lesson Plan Checklist.

This Free Preschool Printable: D is for Delicious! is a helpful way to talk about making healthy eating choices. Click through for tons more activities in the free preschool lesson plan Letter D is for Delicious from www.lovinlifewithlittles.com. #letterdlessonplan #letterd #dlessonplan #fivesensesforpreschool #senseoftaste #letteroftheweekd #letteroftheweek #healthyeating #handsonlearning #teachingnutritiontopreschoolers

First, we traced the D’s. The kids found a hidden one in the shape of the mouth. 😉

This Free Preschool Printable: D is for Delicious! is a helpful way to talk about making healthy eating choices. Click through for tons more activities in the free preschool lesson plan Letter D is for Delicious from www.lovinlifewithlittles.com. #letterdlessonplan #letterd #dlessonplan #fivesensesforpreschool #senseoftaste #letteroftheweekd #letteroftheweek #healthyeating #handsonlearning #teachingnutritiontopreschoolers

Next we used the grocery advertisements I had saved from the mail the previous week. The kids cut out pictures of foods that looked delicious to them and pasted the pictures on their mouth collage. I asked questions like, “What kind of dairy would you choose?” Mostly, they did whatever they wanted with the collage though. 

This Free Preschool Printable: D is for Delicious! is a helpful way to talk about making healthy eating choices. Click through for tons more activities in the free preschool lesson plan Letter D is for Delicious from www.lovinlifewithlittles.com. #letterdlessonplan #letterd #dlessonplan #fivesensesforpreschool #senseoftaste #letteroftheweekd #letteroftheweek #healthyeating #handsonlearning #teachingnutritiontopreschoolers

A candid conversation also came up about how much different foods cost and what was a good deal. It’s always fun to hear a kid’s perspective on money.  😉

EAT: Foods that Start with the Letter D

In a rare turn of events, we didn’t eat a snack today, unless you count flour and baking soda as a snack! Learning about the sense of taste and didn’t have a real snack! Ironic right?

However, I wanted to give you some options. There are not too many healthy, whole foods that start with the letter D. Dill pickles, dried fruit, and dates are my top picks. Dates could be a new food for some Littles to try, which goes along well with what we talked about today. Other ideas are dinosaur shaped nuggets, donuts, deli meet, Deviled eggs, Doritos, drumsticks, or dairy foods. You could also classify anything as “delicious,” and call it a day!

SING: Goodbye Song

As usual, we finished by quickly reviewing our letter of the day, what letter D looks like and sounds like. Then we sang our goodbye song, and see you next week!

Hopefully we’ll see YOU next week too! We will explore hearing with E is for Ears! Be sure to follow by email to receive a note to your inbox when new posts are published.

Click image to have a free checklist for this Preschool Lesson Plan sent to your inbox. This checklist is the easiest way to make these educational, fun, and hands-on lessons happen. Simplify your preschool experience with www.lovinlifewithlittles.com! #preschool #homepreschool #preschoolchecklist #simplepreschoolideas #letteroftheweek #preschoollessonplan #freepreschoollessonplan
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Leave a comment to let me know what activities your Littles are enjoying, what types of posts you’d like to see, or any other questions or thoughts you have. I love hearing from you, and thanks for visiting! Happy Preschooling!

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Free Preschool Alphabet Lesson Plan for D. Click through for tons of hands-on learning ideas for letter D is Delicious from www.lovinlifewithlittles.com. #letterdlessonplan #letterd #dlessonplan #healthyeating #fivesensesforpreschool #senseoftaste #letteroftheweekd #letteroftheweek #handsonlearning #learningthroughplay

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2 Comments

  1. I love making the real-life connections in these preschool settings and tying together all kinds of truth. I'm glad you appreciate that. I know those kinds of discussions are how I learned a lot growing up too.

  2. I loved your collage idea, choosing your own aikendrum (one of our own favorites) words and the all white taste test. I like to learn from you how you incorporate many varied discussions far beyond the letter d and the senses (I.e. drugs, stranger awareness, nutrition, cost and spending). That is so often where the real learning takes place… Through the back door. Thank you for modeling that.