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I can't believe we are already at the end of the pre-writing activities for kids series here on the blog! I have enjoyed sharing some fun tips and activities for your toddlers and preschoolers for pre-writing practice! So far we have looked at horizontal & vertical lines, circle shapes, cross shapes, squares & rectangles, and diagonal lines & the “X” shape.
Let's review the developmental sequence that children learn pre-writing shapes and lines.
- Vertical line
- Horizontal
- Circle
- Cross shape (+)
- Right/Left Diagonal Line
- Square
- X shape
- Triangle
Today we are finishing up with the diamond and triangle shapes in a fun sensory tracing activity. There is also a free printable for you to grab for this activity!
Items Needed for the Diamond & Triangle Sensory Tracing Activity:
- Diamond & Triangle Shapes Printable (FREE download)
- Sensory medium for tracing – Can be one of the following: Rice, couscous, quinoa, or sand.
- Task tray
- Crayons or pencil
This activity is very simple, yet gives your child some great pre-writing stroke practice!
First thing you will want to do is choose your sensory medium. I used couscous for the pictures in this post. Since my daughter is still a little young for this activity I did not have her actually complete it yet. I would not do this activity for a child under 3 years old, simply for the fact that they will probably try to place the small pieces of rice or couscous in their mouth. Also since diamond and triangle shapes are not mastered until 4 years old, this activity would not be age appropriate for under 3 years old as well.
Next you will want to print out the diamond and triangle shape printable that I included for you above! Feel free to laminate it if you wish to use it more than once to help the paper hold up well. Place it on a task tray and cover with your sensory medium.
Then have your child use their pointer finger or a paint brush (using the paint brush is a great time to practice age appropriate pencil grasp) to trace the shape. You may need to move some of the sensory medium yourself so that your child can see the start point of where to trace the lines.
After they trace the line, then have them scoop the rest of the sensory medium out of the middle while using their fingers.
The end result will look like this! After they have finished with the sensory tracing, have them pick out a crayon or pencil and trace each shape, then color each shape a color of their choice.
Also, while doing this activity you can talk about which shape is bigger and which is smaller. There is a small and large version of each shape on the printable. Lots of great skills being practiced here in a fun way!
Skill Used with Diamond & Triangle Sensory Tracing Activity
- Pre-Writing skills
- Proper pencil/hand grasp on writing utensils
- Finger isolation – using the index finger to trace on the shapes
- Coloring skills
- BONUS – have your child cut out the diamond and triangle shapes after they color them for added scissor skills practice!
- Visual motor skills
Other activities in the Pre-Writing Activities for Kids Series
- Straight Lines Sensory Bin
- Pom Pom Task Tray
- Crossing Midline Parade
- My House is Made of Shapes Puzzle Printable Packet
- DIY Tic Tac Toe Board (for “X” shapes)
- Sensory Tracing Diamond & Triangle Shapes
You can also get many more ideas from my Pinterest boards:
Follow Heather @ Golden Reflections Blog's board Handwriting Skills & Activities on Pinterest.
Follow Heather @ Golden Reflections Blog's board Fine Motor Skills Prek & Up on Pinterest.
Blessings,
This activity is part of my new ebook “Basic Shapes for Beginners: A Hands-On Approach to Pre-Writing Strokes for Preschoolers“.
Disclaimer: I am a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant. The advice in these tips is not a replacement for medical advice from a physician or your pediatrician. Please consult their advice if you suspect any medical or developmental issues with your child. These tips do not replace the relationship between therapist and client in a one on one treatment session with a individualized treatment place based on their professional evaluation.
Disclaimer: All activities are designed for complete adult supervision. Please use your own judgement with your child and do not provide objects that could pose a choking hazard to young children. Never leave a child unattended during these activities.Please be aware of and follow all age recommendations on all products used in these activities.
