Glitter Writing Tray 💚 ages 3-5 💙 Sensory writing trays are such a fun way to get kids learning letters, shapes and numbers. My 5 year old has really responded to this method of learning so I wanted to mix it up and try using glitter as our medium in a writing tray. In this version we practiced writing our shapes using blue, green and gold glitter. So fun!
MATERIALS NEEDED FOR A GLITTER WRITING TRAY (affiliate links):
Small tray (ours came as part of a set)
Unsharpened Pencil with eraser
Flash cards with shapes (ours came as part of this set)
SET UP YOUR GLITTER WRITING TRAY:
1. Start by pouring some glitter into a small tray.
2. Then give the child an unsharpened pencil, have them flip it upside down and use the eraser to draw shapes, letters or numbers.
We got some great shape flashcards as part of a Playfoam set we bought a while ago.
Check out Oliver drawing shapes in glitter in the video below:
Looking for more sensory tray ideas? Check out some of our other sensory trays using sand, sprinkles and salt.
So you might be asking youself exactly what is a writing tray? Well basically, it’s any low rimmed tray filled with a movable medium. It’s a great way to help kids learn letters and letter formation, numbers and shapes. You can also practice sight words and math facts for older kids.
Here is a list of our favorite materials to fill writing trays:
- Salt
- Sand
- Sprinkles
- Glitter
- Pudding
- Play Dough
- Spices
- Barley
- Oatmeal
- Shaving Cream
- Rice
- Sugar
- Flour
- Cornmeal
Here are some fun ideas for objects to use to draw the letters:
- Paintbrush
- Fingers
- Feather
- Candy Cane (for holiday time)
- Unsharpened pencil eraser
- Chopstick
- Make-up Brush
This article from The OT Toolbox has tons of great info about writing trays.
For more fun ideas on learning letters, check out our other letter activities!
