Writing in the sand

The beach is a fantastic open canvas,

so why not turn a trip to your

closest shoreline into a great writing

experience for your child.

We all love a trip to the beach, so here

are a few helpful ideas to make the most

of your day out:

TOP TIP - This activity is applicable to children of all ages, especially toddlers and preschoolers. So give this activity a try next time you are at the beach.

Writing in the Sand

1. Ask your child to make marks in

the sand using a stick - vertical and

horizontal lines, circles and crosses are

a great start.

2. You can encourage your child to copy

your mark making then ask them to

make marks for you to copy.

3. Talk about the marks and letters you

make and the movements you make

to create them. For example say "I'm

starting here, then going down, then

stop", "I'm starting here, then going

round and round" or "I'm going to

make M for Mummy".

4. For some extra variety you can

use pebbles, shells, driftwood and

seaweed to make shapes in the sand

together.

WRITING IN THE SAND

Writing in the sand at the beach might seem like just a bit of fun, but it also has a number of developmental benefits, including:

• Helping your child develop the skills and confidence to form the

connecting lines and curves, as well as the vertical, horizontal and

zig-zag lines that form the basis of letters.

• Developing your child's hand-eye coordination skills and allowing

their manual dexterity skills to mature and integrate.

• Allowing your child to receive kinaesthetic feedback, which is a

key component of motor control for legible handwriting. This naturally develops when your child associates a mark or letter with the actions that creates it.