Letter D Crafts for Preschoolers: Donut, Duck & Dolphin

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Are you teaching the letter D and looking for some simple letter D crafts for your preschoolers?

These alphabet paper-tearing crafts are the solution you are looking for. They keep kids engaged while working on letter recognition, letter tracing, and fine motor skills.

Letter d crafts duck, dolphin and donut are shown

Kids tear colorful paper into small pieces and glue them onto a letter D or an image that starts with the letter D. This skill-rich craft is calming, strengthens little hands, and packs in plenty of learning.

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Let me show you some ideas for using these preschool crafts for the letter D in your classroom—and how flexible these no-prep printables really are.

Why These Letter D Crafts Work So Well For Preschoolers

Paper-tearing activities are perfect for young learners.

Tearing paper strengthens the hand muscles kids need before they’re ready for scissors. It’s Step 1 of the Cutting Confidence Ladder—the foundation that gets little hands ready for cutting.

When kids tear paper and glue it onto a letter D shape or a donut, duck, or dolphin image, they’re:

Building hand muscles
Practicing bilateral coordination
Working on eye-hand coordination
Learning letter recognition
Connecting letters to beginning sounds

Here’s the bonus: paper tearing is incredibly calming. Even your most active kids will often settle right in when they’re tearing and gluing.

Many Craft Template Options

These letter D craft templates give you lots of options, so you can find exactly what works for your kids.

Bubble Letter Page

Want to focus on letter recognition? The letter D bubble letter page is perfect. It includes both uppercase and lowercase letters on the same page. Filling in the letter shapes with torn paper helps kids learn to recognize the letter D.

Letter D Images

Beyond the bubble letter page, the Letter D Craft set includes 3 image options kids will enjoy: a donut, a duck, and a dolphin. Using these images helps kids practice the letter sound.

Multiple Options for Each Image

Each image comes with several template options, so you can add tracing practice or extra fine motor work.

The simplest option shows just the picture and a “D is for…” sentence.
Need letter formation practice? There are templates with letter tracing and even word opportunities.

My favorite? The hole punch border template. Kids love using a hole punch, and it’s a fantastic way to build hand strength.

Different Ways to Use the Letter D Craft Pages

Paper tearing is my go-to method, but these pages work with lots of different approaches. Mix it up to keep things interesting.

Paper Tearing (My Favorite!)

Give kids strips of construction paper or tissue paper in different colors. They tear the strips into small pieces and glue them onto the letter D images or bubble letters.

Tip: Pre-cut paper into strips to make tearing easier for younger kids. As they get stronger, let them tear larger pieces on their own.

Snipping and Pasting

Ready to work on scissor skills?

Cut paper into thin strips (about 1 inch wide). Kids make single snips to cut the strips into small pieces, then glue them onto the image. This is Step 2 of the Cutting Confidence Ladder—practicing that open-close scissor motion without worrying about cutting along a line. Great for kids just learning to use scissors.

Simple Coloring

Need something quick? Kids color the letter or image with crayons or markers. It’s simple and still builds letter recognition.

a donut craft as an example of a coloring page craft for the letter d

Painting

Ready for a little mess and a lot of fun? Use watercolors, tempera paint, or dot markers. Kids enjoy the sensory experience, and it strengthens their hands as they control the brush or dauber.

Mixed Media

Let kids get creative by combining methods. Tear paper for the main image, then add details with crayons. Or color first, then add torn paper accents. This creative freedom makes the activity feel more special.

Hole Punch Page Options

If your craft page has a border with circles, kids can trace the lines and then punch holes around the edge. Hole punching builds the same muscles kids need for scissor control and writing.

hole punch option for donut letter d craft for preschool

You can also have kids use a Q-tip to dab paint on the border or add small dot stickers. It’s another way to keep the activity fresh.

How to Use These Letter Crafts

These letter D activities work in so many parts of your day. Here are some ways teachers use them:

Letter of the Week Activities – Use one image each day, or let kids pick their favorite image for your letter D focus.
Literacy Centers – Print several copies and add them to your alphabet center. Kids can work alone or with a partner.
Small Group Instruction – Use letter D crafts during small group time for focused practice. You can help kids who need extra support while they build fine motor skills.
Morning Work – Keep a stack ready for early arrivers or fast finishers.
Take-Home Practice – Send pages home for families to work on together. They’re simple enough for home but meaningful for learning.
ABC Book Projects – Collect completed pages throughout the year and bind them into a class-made alphabet book. Kids love seeing their work all together.
Thematic Units – Use the duck and dolphin crafts during an ocean or pond theme. Use the donut craft during a food or bakery unit, a donut day, or a Donut for Dads craft.

Why Teachers Love These Letter D Crafts for Preschoolers

Here’s why teachers keep using these letter crafts:

Multiple image options – A bubble letter plus donut, duck, and dolphin images give you and your kids choices.
Different page formats – Simple pages for beginners, tracing pages for writing practice, and hole punch options for extra fine motor work.
Black-and-white printable – Saves you ink and money.
Clear, simple images – Kids can easily identify and work with the images.
Starting dots on letters – Guides kids toward proper letter formation from the start.

These letter D crafts also hit all three elements of the Skill-Rich Craft Formula.

🖐🏻 Hands are doing meaningful work through tearing and gluing.
🧠 Brains are engaged with letter recognition and beginning sounds.
♥️ Kids care because they choose which image to make and add their own creative touches.