Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Build Your Own Coconut Tree Game
If you’re looking for a fun activity to go along with the beloved children’s book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault, you’re going to love this! It’s a great way to bring the story to life while practicing letter recognition, fine motor skills, and even a little bit of math — all through playful, hands-on learning.
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What You’ll Need
Start by creating your very own Chicka Chicka Boom Boom tree!
You’ll need:
- A paper towel roll (this will be your tree trunk)
- Several large popsicle sticks, colored green (these make the palm leaves!)
- Foam letters (or magnetic letters) — both uppercase letters and lowercase letters work great
Have your child color the popsicle sticks green. Once they’re dry, stack or glue them around the top of the paper towel roll to make the palm fronds of your coconut tree. Now you’re ready to play!
If you need the book you can get it here.
Coconut Tree Balancing Game
Here comes the fun part! Just like in the book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, where all the letters of the alphabet race to the top of the coconut tree, your child will try to balance foam letters on top of their homemade tree.
Take turns stacking letters — one by one — and see how many letters can climb to the top of the tree before it all comes tumbling down! This is a fun way to:
- Talk about letter names
- Sort capital letters and lowercase letters
- Practice identifying your child’s favorite letters or a letter of the alphabet you’re learning that week
You can even turn it into a math skills challenge by counting how many letters stay balanced each time, or predicting which letter will fall first!
Extend the Fun Activities
If you have letter cards, match them to the foam letters before placing them on the tree. During read-aloud activities, pause while reading Chicka Chicka Boom Boom to find the matching letter and help it climb the tree. This connection between story and play keeps kindergarten students, preschoolers, and toddlers excited and engaged.
Why We Love Making Our Own Coconut Tree
This homemade Chicka Chicka Boom Boom game is a favorite in classrooms and at home because it encourages creativity, strengthens fine motor skills, and builds confidence with letters of the alphabet. Plus, it’s simple, low-cost, and guaranteed to bring giggles when the letters start to topple — boom boom!
So, grab your magnetic letters, popsicle sticks, and paper towel roll, and watch your little learners’ eyes light up as they cheer their letters to the top of the coconut tree!
Check Out Our Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Lesson Plans
For even more fun Chicka Chicka Boom Boom activities, check out our full post on this children’s book. We have all kinds of activities, pointers on reading the book, crafts, and sensory play ideas! This is one of our favorite books for the early childhood classroom.
Read it all here: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Book Activities
