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Salt Tray and Gem Pattern Making

September 15, 2014 by Anna Ranson

Enjoy some playful maths activities with this salt tray and gem pattern making provocation! So simple and low cost, with plenty of opportunities for extending the learning and being creative too!

Invitation to make patterns in a salt tray

I set out an Invitation to Play and create with two simple materials; fine salt and flat, colourful, glass gems. I found these beautiful gems on Amazon and they have already loved playing with them lots of times as they’re highly tactile and so brightly coloured. They will be great for many open-ended play and learning activities. The tray is a party platter from the supermarket (and we use it for lots of sorting activities!)

Salt tray and gems maths activity

Miss 6 used the tray to make simple lines of repeating patterns as she is very into pattern making at the moment. We then talked about symmetrical patterns and she made some using a vertical line of symmetry, while we practised language such as rotation and mirror images.

Symmetrical patterns with gems

Miss 4 enjoyed sorting the gems into colours and then lining them up into rows, as well as simply placing them into the tray and counting them. Art and maths in a salt tray with gems

 

There were plenty of opportunities for talking about how many shapes we could find and if there were mrs of one colour or another in the mixture. This could be a nice jump off point for counting in groups of numbers, adding small amounts together or copying simple patterns in rows below (to name just a few possibilities!)Pattern making with flat gems in a salt tray

Miss 2 loved the tactile nature of the materials and spent time raking her fingertips through the surface of the salt and creating marks and patterns. She moved the gems one by one into the tray and enjoyed putting them into the salt and picking them out again.Salt tray pattern making

We will be getting these out again to use in various play provocations and sensory play trays, as well as using them for a loose material for coining and sorting in a maths area.

Maths skills using a salt tray and flat gems

What they are learning as they play:

maths: counting using 1:1 correspondence, sorting by one criteria, making simple repeating patterns, creating symmetrical patterns, mathematical vocabulary

physical: fine motor skills and coordination, pincer grasp, transferring

creativity: making pictures and patterns

See all of our other Playful and Creative Maths ideas here.

See our many other uses for Sensory Salt trays here.

[This post contains an Amazon affiliate link for your convenience.]

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Filed Under: Art, Counting, Creativity, Fine Motor Development, Heuristic Play, Invitations to Play, Jewels, Kinaesthetic Learning, Learn, Make, Math, Motor Skills, Patterns, Play Prompts, Preschooler, Salt, School Age, Sensory Salt, Shape Space and Measures, Symmetry, Toys & Games Tagged With: Early Maths, Maths, Numeracy, Playful Maths

« Star Dust Sensory Writing Tray
Matchstick Colour Sorting Fine Motor Toy »

Comments

  1. Jackie says

    September 16, 2014 at 3:38 am

    I can’t seem to find the gems on Amazon, would you happen to still have the link to them? Thanks.

  2. Simone says

    September 16, 2014 at 9:29 am

    My thoughts exactly! Do you have a link please Anna? 🙂

  3. Honey says

    September 16, 2014 at 11:02 am

    same here – would really appreciate a link as the only ones I can find are too tiny (and for nail art)

    • Honey says

      September 16, 2014 at 11:12 am

      Thank you for the lovely blog by the way – i am a log time lurker and always find it really inspirational!

  4. Colleen Edwards says

    September 16, 2014 at 9:19 pm

    I would love the link to the gems as well. I looked and couldn’t find these triangular shapes. Also the salt trays you used. Did you get those on Amazon as well? Thank you so much for your blog! Lots of neat ideas!

  5. Jenny says

    September 17, 2014 at 2:18 pm

    I love this, my two tots would be in heaven. Although maybe MM might eat a few. lol But what a creative activity. I love that you are always sharing great sensory activities and things to do with the young ones. So creative. Kids really do love playing with things like this. Did you get the salt trays from Amazon too! I really need to start doing more of this now that my youngest is older. Great post hun.

  6. Laura says

    September 17, 2014 at 4:22 pm

    I would also be interested in a link for the gems & the tray. Thanks!

  7. Janet says

    September 17, 2014 at 4:34 pm

    I would love the link as well 🙂 I have round gems, but it would be nice to have these as part of our collection.

  8. Sam Price says

    September 17, 2014 at 7:43 pm

    Just found them on amazon, they are called crystal glass mosaic tile shapes rainbow mix.
    Very pretty and versatile!
    Thanks Anna

    • Colleen Edwards says

      September 17, 2014 at 8:14 pm

      Thank you Sam! I am going to look them up now! Did you happen to find the trays?

    • Colleen Edwards says

      September 17, 2014 at 8:23 pm

      Sam,
      I just looked on Amazon. Nothing came up under that search. Is that the exact name they are called? What Department are they in?

    • Jackie says

      September 18, 2014 at 1:42 am

      I still can’t find them …:(
      9

      • Embey says

        September 18, 2014 at 4:39 pm

        Link to the item on Amazon.UK:

        http://www.amazon.co.uk/Crystal-Glass-Mosaic-Shapes-Rainbox/dp/B00585JYPE/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411054668&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=crystal+glass+mosaic+tile+shapes+rainbow+mix.

  9. Embee says

    September 18, 2014 at 12:37 am

    Yes, a link for the gems would be greatly appreciated. I couldn’t find anything either.

  10. Tamra says

    September 18, 2014 at 1:58 am

    Would love a link! I can’t find them either.

  11. Kate says

    September 18, 2014 at 2:48 am

    Hey ladies – Just thought I’d let you know… Anna lives in the UK and I’m assuming most of you are from the US. The tiles that she has are only available in the UK from a place called Hobby Island Mosaics. They are cheap enough but cost and arm and a leg to send to the states. I’ve looked everywhere for them in the states but to no avail. If anyone finds them let us know!

  12. Ronda says

    September 18, 2014 at 3:21 am

    Try searching amazon uk. I found them there. 🙂

  13. Sam Price says

    September 18, 2014 at 9:45 am

    Sorry ladies, I’m in the uk and assumed everyone else was!!! It was amazon.co.uk and shipping is a nightmare! Sorry

    • Colleen Edwards says

      September 18, 2014 at 5:10 pm

      Well, Boo! I was really wanting them. I will keep my eyes open and definitely let everyone know if I find anything similar.
      Colleen

  14. Nichole {youclevermonkey} says

    September 18, 2014 at 1:14 pm

    I love those gems Anna! How well do they work for rotating! I never seen these triangular gems – adding some to my shopping list I think. Thanks for sharing your find 🙂

  15. JIzzy says

    September 20, 2014 at 7:45 pm

    Does anyone know where to get the trays? Thanks Anna for so many inspiring ideas…

  16. Amanda says

    September 22, 2014 at 8:22 pm

    Another great idea. Thank you again. Just out of interest, do you provide 3 sets of this activity or just one?

  17. Elaine says

    September 29, 2014 at 10:43 am

    Good news folks……found a tray very like the one in the pics in sainsburys today it’s called a snack tray.
    Hope that’s helpful.
    E xxxx

  18. Emma says

    October 2, 2014 at 9:13 pm

    Found the same seller on ebay.co.uk- will post worldwide- maybe cheaper?

    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Crystal-Glass-mosaic-Tiles-Shapes-Various-/251355920151?pt=UK_Crafts_Mosaic_Tiles_MJ&var=550291667803&hash=item3a85faf717

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About The Imagination Tree Hello and welcome! I'm Anna, Mama of 4, early years teacher and play enthusiast from the UK! Click here to read more about me.

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