Fun Back-to-School STEM Alphabet Activity + Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Book

Finemotor/Grossmotor Skills and Sensory Ideas December 11, 2025

 tart your back-to-school season with an engaging STEM alphabet activity that builds early literacy, fine motor skills, and creative problem-solving for preschool and kindergarten learners. This hands-on challenge pairs perfectly with the beloved children’s book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault — a classic ABC picture book that celebrates learning the alphabet in a fun rhyme as the letters race up the coconut tree! Simon & Schuster




asy Back-to-School STEM Challenge: Build an Alphabet Tree

This back-to-school STEM activity is perfect for preschool and kindergarten students who are learning the alphabet. It’s simple, hands-on, and builds fine motor skills, problem-solving, and creativity.

To make this activity even more engaging, pair it with the popular children’s book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. Students love seeing the letters climb the tree—just like in the story!

Why this STEM activity is great for young learners

  • Helps kids learn the alphabet in a fun, hands-on way

  • Builds fine motor skills through stacking, balancing, and placing letters

  • Encourages creativity, engineering thinking, and problem-solving

  • Works well as a STEM center, morning bin, or whole-class challenge

  • Perfect for preschool, Pre-K, kindergarten, or early elementary

Simple Supplies You Need

You only need a few low-cost materials:

  • cardboard paper rolls

  • Popsicle sticks

  • Wooden or plastic building blocks

  • Foam, wooden, or magnetic letters

These materials are easy to find and great for open-ended building activities.

How to Do the Alphabet Tree Challenge

  1. Give each student or group the materials.

  2. Ask them to build their own alphabet tree using the items however they like.

  3. Let students stack, balance, and arrange pieces to create a tree structure.

  4. Once the tree is built, students place letters onto the tree—just like in Chicka Chicka Boom Boom!

You can run this as a center activity, a STEM station, or a full classroom challenge.

What Kids Learn

Every tree looks different, which makes this challenge powerful! Students get to:

  • Try different building techniques

  • Observe how classmates solve the same problem in different ways

  • Learn basic engineering concepts (balance, weight, stability)

  • Build confidence while creating something unique

This simple challenge turns everyday materials into a fun, meaningful hands-on learning experience.

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