Pre-writing activities for preschoolers can help build our youngest learners to become skilled writers as they progress in school. Learning to write is a complex task! Children need enough fine motor flexibility and strength, and they also need to know how the letters look and how these shapes are formed. The National Early Literacy Group lists alphabet knowledge and the ability to write letters in isolation or in the name as some early predictors of later literacy success, so it is crucial to help children build these skills. The good news is that there are many interesting and interesting ways to do this. Here are 28 super easy, easy-to-do activities that your preschoolers will love!
It is important that children learn to consistently form letters with the right strokes from the top. For any activity that requires children to track letters, give them clues about where to start and a stroke that is consistent with the handwriting program used in your area. If you don’t have an established handwriting program, check the handwriting without tears for a lot of support.
Free printing
Letter tracking worksheet
In the early days, teaching the right letter formation was absolutely key, so we created this bundle to help you guide your students as they practice.
1. Bag in bag
All you need to make these awesome feel bags is a resealable zipper storage bag with flour, water and food coloring. Pull the bag tightly and have the kids draw shapes, lines and letters on the bag with a cotton swab or finger.
2. Bubble wrap
A great way to recycle all remaining bubble packaging! Just wrap the bubbles on Sharpie and write a letter. Then, let the kids track them as they pop up letter recognition.
3. Play with dough pancakes
Flatten a medium-sized game dough like pancakes on a flat surface. Then use sharp objects to draw a letter on the flat area. Make sure that the letter is large enough to be easily recognizable when filled with straw. Cut plastic straws into 1-inch segments. Then, let the children “track” the letters with colorful straw segments.
4. Point mark
Students use dot markers to practice the writing mechanism and get used to the angles and curves of letters. Download 12 free pages for free writing dot mark worksheets.
5. Play with dough snake
Kids can’t resist the sensory bait of the game dough! To do this, children can roll the small dough into a grown snake and form letters by bending and adding the snake. To help guide their work, please provide a letter card.
6. Lego bricks
Young children cannot get enough construction and use of Legos or other obstacles. Make the most of your creativity by building letters on letter cards.
7. bead
This activity builds the fine motor skills your young students need to start writing. Students follow preprinted lines using cheap pony beads (found on any craft store or Amazon).
Another interesting way to use Pony Beads: draw a letter in the game dough and have students track the letter by arranging Pony Beads on the outline.
8. Sand plate
One of the easiest pre-writing activities for your preschooler is the sand table. Children can practice writing with their fingers or unshared pencils. As an alternative to sand, you can fill the tray with salt, flour, cornmeal or rice.
9. Squeeze bottle
For this easy-to-training activity, simply fill a plastic extrusion bottle with salt or sugar, and then let the students track the letters on the card by extruding the bottle.
10. Cotton swabs and paint
This is a fun activity that helps kids master their fine motor skills and master the most important pencil grips. Show the kids how to properly hold the swab like a pencil and then dip the swab into paint and practice on paper. Go back and adjust its grip.
11. Glitter glue
Before learning letter formations, lines before writing are an important part of the mastery of any preschooler. Download this glittering glue pre-written line exercise for preschooler activities.
12. Rainbow tray
This resource is very simple and kids love it! Simply bring the rainbow-patterned colored tissue to the bottom of the transparent plastic tray. Fill it with sand, and the colors below are revealed as the children trace the lines and letters. For extra fun, place the tray on top of the lamp table to add the glowing size in the rainbow.
13. Masked tape
This is an interesting central activity. Provide students with a roll of colorful masking tape and clear surfaces such as mirrors, windows or tables. Then let them tear off the tape sections to form letters.
14. Magnet plate
Write on a magnet plate with dry to mark and have your little one track them with magnets. Or make letters with tape and draw a dotted line in the middle to form a “road”. Students can then “drive” the car magnet along the alphabet road.
15. Tie-lock card
For preschoolers, grabbing a rope between the little fingers and passing through the end of the hole in the lace card is a good exercise. It also begins to build muscle memory to hold the pencil correctly. Create your own shoelace card with card and hole punch.
16. Shaving cream
This classic event is a great starting point for former writers. All you need is a tray and a can of shaving cream. Students can then use sticks, swabs, or fingers when writing letters, shapes, or words.
17. Button
Preschoolers will have fun with patterns, swirls, bends and twists with colorful buttons. And they will build great motor skills as they use it!
18. Sticker lineup
Preschoolers need to use pinching exercises to build hand strength to peel off the stickers. They then use hand-eye coordination to place each sticker along the drawing line. This activity is perfect for writing or leisure stations.
19. Fingerprint writing
Some kids don’t like to mess up their fingers, but others love it! For this activity, you will need a poster board and a washable ink palette. Draw letters, shapes and lines on a clean poster board. Then, show the kids how to immerse the pointer finger on the ink pad and press DOT to follow the dot.
20. Cutting
Using clothing to fixate requires grip. Any activity involving tailoring clothespins will help kids build the fine motor skills they need to write.
twenty one. Using scissors
Cutting and tailoring activities with scissors is an excellent way for children to practice fine motor skills and control. Give your students plenty of opportunities to practice their cutting skills through paper, rope, card stock, and even Play-Doh’s snake!
twenty two. Wrap paper
Making paper into balls is great for building strength. Let your preschoolers use computer paper, newspaper, tissue paper or wrapping paper to create tight balls. Then play with a paper ball label!
twenty three. Ice painting
Young learners are building fine motor skills as they master the brush and apply paint to molten ice. This helps develop hand-eye coordination and strengthens the muscles of the hands and fingers.
twenty four. Letter Stamps
Preschoolers enjoy tactile fun and learn while building small motor skills using these dough boards. A solid letter stamp can push it into soft game or clay.
Purchase: Dough stamps (including all 26 letters)
25. Paint with water (or chalk)
Take your preschooler outside and let them relax with a glass of water and a brush on the sidewalk. Let them draw bends, lines, letters, etc. All of these options enhance writing skills. Or, have students use colored chalk.
26. Pipe cleaner
Pipe cleaners can be used in a variety of pre-written activities to help preschool children develop finger muscles and fine motor skills. They can make shapes, add beads, curly pencils and more!
27. Graffiti
Graffiti does teach preschoolers how to apply a proper amount of pressure and control the movement of crayons and pencils to make it work properly. Not only that, it’s very interesting! Use poster boards or cardboard boxes to make it a group project.
28. Finger tracking
Learning to write with a pencil is important, but for learning letters, fingers can work too. Prepare your credit card and demonstrate where to start. The more you practice, the greater the muscle memory.
Get free worksheets!
We created a reputation tracking template to print it out and radiate it around the classroom. Grab the template by clicking the button below.
Also, if you like these pre-write activities for preschoolers, check out these amazing sensory dining table activities.
