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Chalk Dust and Feather Writing:  Learning Names in Preschool!

Summer learning can be FUN for preschoolers with a CHALK THEME!  The Playful Preschool Blogging Team is offering wonderful suggestions for playful learning with activities centered around CHALK!  Grab your own chalk, a few simple supplies, and come PLAY with us!

Disclaimer:  This post an others within this blog contain affiliate and/or distributor links.  All opinions are my own.

Practical Life Skills and Fine Motor Control:  Grating Chalk with a small hand-held cheese grater makes a wonderful practical life skills activity and fine motor tray for preschoolers.  Use a chalk holder (or tape the bottom of the chalk) to remind kids to keep fingers away from the grater as the chalk gets smaller.  Set the chalk grater over a bowl on a table or tray and leave it out during the summer.  Use the grated chalk dust for the feather writing tray below.  *Safety precaution:  as always, supervise young children closely when grating chalk so that they don’t sniff/inhale the chalk dust.

CHALK DUST and FEATHER WRITING TRAY for PRESCHOOL!

Materials needed:

• Chalk Dust (from the grating activity above)
• A Tray or Shallow Container (to hold the chalk dust)
• Feathers (for writing)
• Index Cards or small chalk boards (for writing names of the children)

Some of the first words young children learn are the names of family members and their own.  Invite the children to pour the grated chalk dust onto the tray.  For younger children, an adult can write the letters in the child’s name on an index card or miniature chalk board. Have the children use the feather to copy the letters into the fine chalk dust.  To begin again, the children can use the feather’s end to gently brush over the chalk letters for further practice.  It’s a fun way to encourage children to begin writing and practice letter transferring skills!

Extension Activity:  dip the tip of the feather in water before writing in the chalk.  Kids can also use small paintbrushes, if desired.

For ways to begin pre-writing with preschoolers, please see:  Lavender Scented Pre-Writing and Apple Spiced Playdough Pre-Writing.

For more FUN ways to play and learn with preschoolers this summer, see Beach Theme Activities or Ocean-Themed Activities here on the blog!

To see other wonderful CHALK-THEMED Activities, please visit the suggestions below!

Chalk Letter Writing from Learning 2 Walk

Alphabet Activities: Chalk Road by Growing Book by Book

Chalk Painting Letters from Mom Inspired Life

Setting-up for Summer Learning with Chalks from Rainy Day Mum

Bubbling Chalk: Science Experiment by Capri +3

Chalk Paint from Tiny Tots Adventure

Chalk Shadow Drawings by Still Playing School