The Imagination Tree

Creative play and learning for kids

Salt Tray and Gem Pattern Making

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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.]

Comments

  4. Colleen Edwards says

    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

    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.

  7. Janet says

    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

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

  11. Kate says

    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!

  13. Sam Price says

    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

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

  16. Amanda says

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

  17. Elaine says

    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