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    Home » Literacy Activities

    Published: Apr 16, 2023 · Modified: Feb 18, 2025 by Amy Rosier · All activities should be supervised by an adult. This post may contain affiliate links.

    6 Multi-Sensory Play Activities for Letter Formation

    Inside: Put down the pencil and try these 6 hands-on, fun activities with your little ones to practise letter formation! Scroll down to download the free alphabet mat printable. 

    These activities are all designed to get children practising letter formation using different sensory materials. They are easy and quick to prepare. Pick and choose from the ideas below to see which your child enjoys the most!

    Alphabet printable for children
    Jump to:
    • Why bother with multi-sensory, hands-on activities?
    • Multi-sensory play letter formation activities 
    • Download the ABC chart printable!
    • Download the ABC Chart!

    Why bother with multi-sensory, hands-on activities?

    Multisensory activities hold so much potential for early writing and have a lasting impact. Using their senses stimulates different parts of children’s brains, making learning letter formation much more memorable and much more engaging. Every time they trace a letter with their finger, they are creating new synapse connections in their brains. 

    These activities encourage adventurous learning!

    Learning early writing can be a daunting task. By removing the paper and the expectation of a finished outcome, we are lowering the stakes and empowering children to feel braver. They are more likely to persevere when they make mistakes, so there are more opportunities for success. If a letter goes wrong? Roll the playdough back into a ball, straighten out the pipe cleaner, wash off the bath crayon. 

    Writing can happen anywhere, it can be fun and it does not have to involve a pencil! 

    Getting ready

    Download the ABC alphabet mat (link at the end of the post) and choose a group of letters to begin practising first. For example, you could start with letters that make long consonant sounds such as m, s, n, f, l, r, v before proceeding to short vowel sounds. You might otherwise choose to focus explicitly on uppercase or lowercase letters. Encourage your child to use their finger to trace each letter. Or use pipe cleaners or play dough to form these letters.

    Download this Free ABC alphabet mat and try these 6 hands-on, fun activities with your little ones to practise letter formation!

    Related: Check out this YouTube video where I share the best order to teach letters to children. 

    Multi-sensory play letter formation activities 

    Letter formation activity 1: Using shaving foam 

    Spread a thin layer of shaving foam on a tray or countertop to get started.

    Use shaving foam for a letter formation activity.

    Letter formation activity 2: Using flour

    Sprinkle flour through a sieve to cover the surface evenly first. You could also use polenta, sugar or rice for this one.

    Sprinkle flour with a sieve and let children write letters on it.

    Letter formation activity 3: Using pipe cleaners

    Use pipe cleaners for a letter formation activity that children will enjoy.

    Letter formation activity 4: Using bath crayons

    Bath crayons are great for children to practice letter formation while having fun!

    Letter formation activity 5: Using playdough

    Encourage your child to roll ‘sausages’ from the playdough, before shaping them into letters.

    Encourage your child to roll the playdough before shaping them into letters, as an activity for practising letter formation.

    Related: For children who seek tactile, sensory input, try these 8 Playdough Learning Activities and read about the many benefits!

    Letter formation activity 6: Using squishy sandwich bags

    You will need hair gel for this one, although you could use any bathroom product with a similar consistency. Mix gently with glitter or food colouring before spooning it into a double zipper sandwich bag and sealing it tightly. Use tape to secure it to your surface and a rolling pin to spread it evenly. Oily or soapy fingers work best for this one.

    Fill a sandwich bag with hair gel and glitter or food colouring and tape it securely to a surface to create a letter formation activity for your child.

    Which activity will you try today? 

    Download the ABC chart printable!

    Sign up for Happy Tot Shelf mailing list and get the ABC chart printable. 

    Download the ABC Chart!

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      Here are more helpful literacy based activities and resources for you:

      • Download this Beginner Phonics Printable Pack and try these fun Hands-On Phonics Activities for Preschoolers!
      • Check out this blog post for tips and activities to teach the alphabet and letter sounds, plus how you can make it fun for your little one.
      • Try these activities for speech development
      • Use these hands-on activities to get children to recognise their names.
      • Does your child find it hard to sit down to learn? Check out these gross-motor activities for kids to learn their name.
      • Here’s another Youtube video where I share what letters to teach our children first.
      • If your child is getting ready to write, try these fun pre-writing activities that do not require sitting down with a pencil and paper.
      • If your child needs help, try these 3 Fun Activities to Overcome ‘b’ and ‘d’ Confusion
      • 10 Spelling Activities for Children that are multi-sensory and fun!

      More Literacy Activities for Kids

      • Learn to Read Part 4: 10 Easy Sight Words Activities for Kindergarten Beginning Readers
      • fun multi-sensory spelling activities for children
        10 Fun Spelling Activities for Children to Learn to Spell
      • Preschoolers learn to read by segmenting and blending CVC words, using this printable activity
        Learn to Read Part 3: CVC Words for Preschoolers
      • fun activities to overcome b d confusion
        3 Fun Activities to Overcome ‘b’ and ‘d’ Confusion

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      About Amy Rosier

      Amy Rosier is a primary school teacher based in Cambridge, UK. She has eight years of classroom teaching experience in London, Cambridge and Shanghai. She is passionate about early childhood education and thinking outside the box to find creative and engaging ways to get children to overcome obstacles in their learning.

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      Comments

      1. Zakia Faheem says

        August 31, 2024 at 5:22 pm

        I like this it's awesome

        Reply

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      Hi there! I’m Fynn—educator, author, and mom of three. I believe a lifelong love of learning starts at home, and I’m here to help you nurture that spark. Together, let’s create joyful learning experiences that strengthen bonds and inspire curiosity for both you and your little ones!

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