Make a letter-writing salt tray! Letter writing is so much more fun in a simple salt tray! Set up a sensory activity for practicing letters! We love to create sensory-rich activities for exploring the letters and practicing fine motor skills. Playful activities early on will strengthen hands, increase the love of learning, and teach writing skills! We have many quick letters and fine motor activities as well as an awesome collection of letter sensory play to try!

Letter Writing Salt Tray

Letter Writing Salt Tray Set-Up

This letter-writing salt tray is so easy to set up for a quick early learning activity. Make sure to see our maze making salt tray for an alternative pre-writing practice activity or our travel map activity!

Supplies Needed:

cookie sheet {dollar store variety is great to have on hand
salt, either table grade or Epsom salt works
letter flashcards, homemade or store-bought {you can also call out a letter too}
optional: mini vehicles for play
optional: chopstick or pencil {instead of finger}

Pour a thin layer of salt on your tray, just enough to cover. You want to make sure that when you make lines, you can see them! Too much salt won’t work, but it saves it for extra sensory play with vehicles afterward as we did! Set out your letter writing salt tray and invite your child to explore and learn.

Letter Writing Salt Tray Play and Learning

This letter writing salt tray is a great fine motor practice too! We went through each letter and he either knew how to write it or I modeled it on the tray and he traced over it and then tried it on his own. This is also perfect for letter recognition. For a younger child, simply making all sorts of lines is great pre-writing practice as well. Show your child how he or she can use a letter card to gently smooth out the salt or give it a little shake!

When you have completed your letters, bring out the construction vehicles! Turn your letter writing salt tray into a construction sensory play activity. Lots of great sensory play and more fine motor play operating and filling the mini vehicles. Add a few measuring spoons too for great play extension!

Fun ideas for simple learning activities. Add sensory play for a truly hands-on experience. Make a letter writing salt tray any day. I bet you have everything you already need on hand! No flashcards, write out your own letters!