Winter Writing Wonderland Fun (PBS Parents)

From PBS Parents:

The winter solstice is right around the corner, marking both the shortest day of the year for those of us in the northern hemisphere and the official beginning of winter. But with 70 degree temperatures here in Baltimore, it’s more popsicle eating weather than snowman making weather.

Which is why I’m seriously digging this wintry Adventure in Learning that gets kids writing in the “snow” regardless of the temperature outside.

Multi-Sensory Learning

This Montessori activity is rooted in the theory of multi-sensory learning. The general idea behind multi-sensory learning is that we make the strongest connections when we engage more than one of our senses while processing information and archiving it in our memory. In this activity, kids engage both their sense of touch (dragging their fingers through the salt) and sight (revealing color) to practice writing their letters.

What You’ll Need

• Salt
• A baking or pie pan with deep sides
• Construction paper

Let It Snow!

Line a baking or pie pan with a sheet of construction paper.

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Fill the container with a thin layer of salt. Make sure it’s enough to cover the paper.

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Have your child practice writing letters in the salt. As they drag their fingers through the salt, they’ll reveal a letter.

Note: It’s best to have visual references nearby for emerging writers (eg., letters written on squares of paper or letter-shaped puzzle pieces). It’s easier for kids to write from a model than recall what letters look like from memory. Plus, it turns this into a more independent activity.

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Give the pan a little shake or a light brush and kids have a blank slate to write again. Double the fun by adding small figures, arctic animals, or trees to create a truly wintry scene.

Enjoy the snow!

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