These printable Apple Visual Discrimination Games help kids practice the skills needed to distinguish between similar letters and numbers in Pre-K, Preschool, and Kindergarten.

Visual discrimination skills are so important for young children because it helps them to be able to identify letters and numbers. This skill helps children distinguish between similar letter shapes such as p, q, b, d, as well as similar numbers and shapes.

These are free downloadable printables.

Look here for more Visual Discrimination Printables!

Apple Matching Cards

There are two sets of Apple Matching Cards: use one or both. One set has apples & apple slices, the other set has “apple buddies”.

Prepare the Sets

To prepare the sets, print them onto card stock paper (download button is below), and laminate if you choose. Each set includes mats and matching cards. Cut the cards apart (but not the mat). The mats can be used as they are, or you can glue them onto a file folder to make a file folder game. You might wish to add Velcro so kids can Velcro the pieces in the correct spot.

What to Do

Children will choose an apple card from the stack, and look on the mat to find it’s match. They will place the apple card in the square by the apple’s match.

Download the Printable Apple Matching Cards:

Apples & Slices Set Apple Buddies

Note: This is a free printable, just click to download.

Apple Same and Different Game

There are two sets of Apple Same and Different Cards. One set has photos of apples (this is the original set that I made) and the new set has apple clipart.

Prepare the Set

To prepare the sets, print the cards onto card stock paper (download button is below), and laminate if you choose. Cut the cards apart: there are four cards per sheet. I recommend cutting the cards apart, because leaving all of them on one mat would be visually confusing for children.

What to Do

Each card has four pictures: 3 pictures are the same and 1 picture is different. Children will choose a card and carefully look at each picture. They will find the picture that is different and mark it with a manipulative. The cards have varying levels of difficulty. For beginners, start with the cards on the first page.

There are lots of options for manipulatives to use for marking the answer on the cards.