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.