The Imagination Tree

Creative play and learning for kids

  • Home
  • Start here!
  • Welcome
    • About Me
    • Popular Posts
    • Play Challenge
    • Subscribe
  • Age
    • Baby
    • Toddler
    • Preschooler
    • School Age
  • Activities
    • Literacy
    • Numeracy
    • Creativity
    • Physical
    • PHSE
    • Science
  • Resources
    • Spaces
    • Toys
    • Books
  • Contact
  • Kindness Elves

Valentine’s Sensory Writing Tray

February 5, 2015 by Anna Ranson

Make a playful literacy resource for kids to practise their letter sounds and sight words in this Valentine’s sensory writing tray!

Valentine's sensory writing tray literacy activity

I set up a quick little invitation to play and learn for the girls with a Valentine’s themed sensory writing tray. These sensory writing trays have become a favourite way to invite some kinaesthetic learning for all three girls at their various stages of literacy development, from the simplest beginnings of mark-making and holding a writing or drawing tool, to copying patterns, letters of the alphabet, name writing and eventually onto practising sight words too. I wish I was back in the classroom to use these regularly with kids to tie in with their particular interests!

Valentines-themed-sensory-writing-tray-prompt-680x453

Into a heart shaped baking dish I tipped a thin layer of salt which I had dyed pink using Wilton gel colouring. [These are the absolute best making intense colours for all play recipes e.g. dyed rice, salt, pay dough and salt dough. Affiliate link.]

Simply mix a very small amount of colouring with the salt in a zip lock bag, shaking it up and using your hand to fully integrate the colour. Once mixed it doesn’t take long to dry, and can then be stored and reused indefinitely. We now have pots of this ready to go in most colours!

I added a small red paint brush and a paper straw topped with a large heart sequin, as two possible mark making tools for them to use, along with their fingers.

Valentines-sensory-mark-making-tray-680x717

 

I cut some hearts from red card  and onto these I wrote some letters from Miss 2’s name and also some that Miss 4 has been practising forming correctly in handwriting at school. On the pink hearts I wrote some simple sight words for Miss 4 to read and copy and some longer words for Miss 6 to decode and write too.

Valentine's sensory writing tray

They love these set ups because of the highly tactile nature of the activity and that they are themed to their particular interests. They’re a great way of incorporating homework tasks from school e.g. phonics and spelling lists, as well as making engaging literacy stations or activities when planning for homeschool or the classroom.

See all our other ways we have used SENSORY SALT TRAYS here (and many more are on the way too!)

See our PLAYFUL LITERACY archives here, for hands-on, worksheet-free ways to learn letters, names, phonics, sight words, storytelling, reading and writing.

Follow my LITERACY PLAY pin board too, for wonderful ideas collected from around the web.
Follow Anna @ The Imagination Tree’s board Literacy Play Ideas on Pinterest.

[This post contains an Amazon affiliate link.]

Related Posts

  • Pumpkin Sensory Writing TrayPumpkin Sensory Writing Tray
  • Candy Cane Sensory Writing TrayCandy Cane Sensory Writing Tray
  • Monster Slime Sensory Writing TrayMonster Slime Sensory Writing Tray
  • Soccer Sensory Writing TraySoccer Sensory Writing Tray
  • Star Wars Sensory Writing TrayStar Wars Sensory Writing Tray
  • DIY Alphabet Pebbles for Literacy PlayDIY Alphabet Pebbles for Literacy Play

Filed Under: ABC, Age, Alphabet, Drawing, Emergent Writing, Fine Motor Development, Heart, Kinaesthetic Learning, Learn, Letters, Literacy, Make, Mark Making, Motor Skills, Name Writing, Play, Pre-Writing, Preschooler, Resources, Salt, School Age, Sensory, Sensory Salt, Sensory Writing Tray, Sight Words, Valentines, Writing Tagged With: Early Literacy, Literacy, Playful Literacy

« Rainbow Footprint Butterfly Keepsake
Pear and Cinnamon Muffin Recipe »
The Imagination Tree on FacebookThe Imagination Tree on TwitterThe Imagination Tree on PinterestThe Imagination Tree on G+RSS feed from The Imagination TreeThe Imagination Tree straight to your inbox

Search The Imagination Tree

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.

The Kindness Elves Store
Play Ideas on The Imagination Tree

Create with The Imagination Tree

Makes on The Imagination Tree

Sign up for our FREE emails:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Categories

Archives

Copyright © 2023 · Foodie Pro Theme by Shay Bocks · Built on the Genesis Framework · Powered by WordPress

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT