Sand Tray

In Montessori education sand trays are used to help a child learn how to trace letters and numbers. It provides the same tactile and sensorial experience that sandpaper letters and numerals provide. They are a great way to help toddlers develop pre-writing skills. They can practice making lines, shapes, numbers, writing out letters or just getting creative while enabling them to begin to develop muscle memory for handwriting.

I introduced the sand tray to my daughter when she was 28 months old. She loves practicing making lines, gently shaking it and starting over. But she also likes to get creative and draw spirals, which she says is a snail. 🙂

Have the child start by using only their fingers, which makes for a richer sensory experience, and then slowly introduce the wooden stick (a chopstick is also a great alternative).

Cleaning up is part of the learning process, so make sure to encourage your child to tidy up after they finish playing. Having a small brush and dustpan to collect the sand off the floor/table/mat is quite handy! Model how to do it until your child feels confident enough to initiate the tidying up process independently.