Let's Get Creative With Handwriting at Home!
Looking for some fun ways to practice handwriting at home? Not all children love the idea of pencil to paper and we definitely can think outside the lines! Handwriting is an imperative skill that children need to learn to be able to sign their name when making a purchase or writing a to-do list to go shopping at the store. There are lots of fun ways to work on handwriting with supplies you already have at home.
Check out a few of the activities below to get started:
Take out a plate from the cabinet and cover it with rice or flour. Then, offer your child a toothpick or even a Q-tip to start writing and practicing letters or even sentences. If you have a little food color lying around, you can dip the toothpick or Q-tip in the color.
Consider opening up the shaving cream and allowing your child the opportunity to write on the bathtub walls. Your child could squeeze the top of the shaving cream and then use an index finger to write his or her name or maybe even a parent’s phone number.
Write a letter to a friend who we may not be able to see at the moment. Allow your child to pick out a preferred color of construction paper and then use a ruler to draw a few lines to practice keeping those words on the line. Glitter pens or markers may also increase interest.
Write a “silly sentence.” A silly sentence can be about any topic of interest to your child where you place capital letters in the incorrect spots or you may even forget to write the letters on the line. Provide the silly sentence to your child and ask him or her to correct your mistakes. Kids love to tell adults what to do!
You can get outside while maintaining plenty of space between you and your neighbors and draw on the sidewalk. You could make a hopscotch board with a letter in each space where the child would have to jump to the letter or even write positive messages on the sidewalk for neighbors to read!
If it is raining and/or you are inside, these are a few handwriting apps that are great for formation and control:
iTrace
Ollie’s Handwriting
LittleWriter
Letter Quiz
For any additional questions, please feel free to reach out to our Panel via email!
Alysha Skuthan, MOT, OTR/L
Level 1 Handwriting Specialist
Pediatric Occupational Therapist
alysha@collaborativecorner.org