How to Teach Your Child to Write Their Name Using a Salt Sensory Tray
Our salt sensory tray has been in frequent use lately as a tool for beginning writing. Salt has the benefit of being slightly translucent so you can provide a writing guide sheet underneath for your child to follow as they learn to write their name.
Our tray is made from a wooden box that some blocks came in, but you can also pour salt onto a cookie sheet or other tray. The box just has the benefit of being able to close up to use again.
- Write your child’s name on a slip of paper and place it on the bottom of the box. We started with all capital letters because he was overwhelmed looking at the lowercase letters.
- Pour salt over the name.
- A gentle shake distributes the salt over the writing.
- Your child can still see the letters beneath the salt and use them as a guide.
- If your child would like, you may guide their hand at first to show the direction the letters are written.
We use our salt tray for sensory integration (just swishing fingers in and playing,) for practicing letters, and as a base for imaginary play scenes. The ability to just shake away mistakes can be very liberating to children who have a perfectionists streak as they learn name writing.
Do you have a favorite way to teach your child to write their name? This is one thing my four year old is into lately.
Have your own preschooler at home? Here are a few of our favorite sensory ideas:
- Indoor Active Toys that Really Get Played With
- Sensory Play in the Kitchen
- Our Favorite QUICK Sensory Activities
64 Positive Things to Say to Kids
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Thank you for sharing this post with me on KBN. I featured it in my round up on letter learning today!
https://readysetread2me.blogspot.com/2012/03/14-ways-to-explore-letters-in-your.html
What a fun way to learn your name- great idea! Thank you for sharing this on The Sunday Showcase!
What a great idea! I bet my 4 year old would love to try this. I’ll have to try some of the other ideas as well because I have a feeling she’ll want to eat all the salt, ewwwww :p
Thanks for linking this idea up at Flutter By Friday!
Aleacia
Lorien- glad you like the idea. It worked pretty well because Lee gets too distracted when he has to look up to see somthing he’s supposed to be copying. This way he can keep his gaze focused.
Bernadette- I’ll have to try paint in a ziploc bag! I linked up to your showcase 🙂 Thanks!
Alissa, I love the salt writing. My girls love writing in shaving cream & paint in a ziplock baggie – have you tried those with him?
I agree about the freeing feeling of being able to swipe away any mistakes.
Would love to have you join the Sunday Showcase with some of your ideas.
Bernadette
https://momto2poshlildivas.blogspot.com/search/label/Sunday%20Showcase
Alissa we love using our sensory tray (per your recomendation last fall) . I had never thought of putting a model underneath what a great idea! Thanks
Great sensory/literacy idea. Thanks for sharing on It’s Playtime.