5 Adorable Apple Themed Preschool Name Activities to Try this Fall

When it comes to introducing letters to young learners, there’s no better place to start than with something they already love—their own name.

For preschoolers, their name is more than just a word. It’s a part of who they are. They see it on cubbies, coat hooks, art projects, and name tags.

That’s why name recognition is such a powerful starting point in early literacy, and why I always begin the year with preschool name activities that are fun, hands-on, and highly personalized.

This time of year, I love leaning into seasonal themes, so today I’m sharing 5 of my favorite apple-themed preschool name activities—perfect for fall, Back to School, or Johnny Appleseed week.

Each activity helps students recognize, build, and spell their names through play-based learning. And yes—there’s even an apple pie playdough recipe involved!

Let’s dive in.

🍏 1. Counting Letters in Our Name

One of the simplest ways to begin working with names is by counting how many letters are in each student’s name. It’s quick, visual, and ties in perfectly with early math skills.

In this activity, we create a class anchor chart where each child adds their name and the number of letters it contains. You can even turn it into a class book afterward!

Students love comparing their name lengths and seeing how their name fits into the group.

Why it works: It builds number sense while making names the focus. Plus, it’s easy to revisit again and again during name games or circle time.

🍏 2. Apple Tree Name Craft

What’s preschool without an adorable craft?

This Apple Tree Name Craft lets students create a tree with one apple for each letter in their name. It’s creative, engaging, and makes for the cutest bulletin board display.

Not only are students reinforcing letter order and one-to-one correspondence, but they also get to see their name as something they built. I always love hearing the pride in their voices when they say, “Look! That’s my name!”

🍏 3. Pocket Chart Name Building

Pocket charts are a preschool teacher’s best friend, and this name activity is always a hit.

Using letter cards, students build their names in the pocket chart—matching the correct order and recognizing the shapes of each letter.

I also like to sneak in beginning letter recognition by having students identify the first letter in their name and match it to a classmate’s.

This is a great center activity and super easy to differentiate.

Love the tree pocket chart?  You can grab it on Amazon here.

Bonus tip: Print the letter cards on red or green cardstock for a fun apple theme!

🍏 4. Apple Name BINGO

Alphabet BINGO is a staple in my classroom, and this fall version is one of our favorites.

You can play in a few different ways: by using the whole name or just the beginning letter of each student’s name.  Students simply cover the letter on the apple Bingo board with a chip.

This is one of those preschool name activities that can be pulled out again and again throughout the season.

🍏 5. Apple Pie Playdough Name Recipes

If you want to make name learning stick (pun intended), try mixing in some sensory play. This activity lets students “cook up” their names by building each letter with playdough on top of their name card.

Even better? You can make your own apple pie-scented playdough using the included recipe. Your classroom will smell amazing, and your kids will be so engaged they won’t even realize they’re building literacy and fine motor skills at the same time.

Sensory + literacy = magic in preschool!

Why Preschool Name Activities Matter

Before we ask children to learn the alphabet, it makes sense to start with letters that are already meaningful—the ones in their own name.

These letters are seen, spoken, and written daily, making them the perfect foundation for literacy learning.

By focusing on name activities in the first few weeks of school, we not only build confidence—we also give students a sense of ownership and belonging in the classroom.

And when those activities are wrapped up in a fun apple theme? Even better.

Want to Try These Apple Name Activities in Your Classroom?

If these sound like the kind of name practice your students would love, I’ve bundled everything into one easy-to-use resource:
The Apple Themed Name Activities Packet.

Inside, you’ll find:

• Editable name cards

• Step-by-step instructions for each activity

• Bulletin board headers

• Printable BINGO games

• Pocket chart materials

• And yes—an apple pie playdough recipe 🍎

👉 [Click here to check out the Apple Themed Name Activities Packet on TPT]

It’s low-prep, fully editable, and made to work with any class list—so you can focus less on planning and more on the fun.

Now, let the name-learning begin with these fun apple-themed preschool name activities!

After you try these hands-on preschool name activities, try out these editable Apple Themed Name Worksheets.  

Quickly print a class set of each activity, and give your students meaningful name-writing and tracing practice!

Looking for another way to sneak in daily name-writing practice with parent support?  Check out my Preschool Homework packet!