6 Pre-Writing Activities for Kids

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Over the last 6 weeks, I have been sharing easy pre-writing activities for kids. These activities are designed for preschool age and today I wanted to share a list of all the activities for you so you can find them in one easy place. Children learn pre-writing lines in a developmental, age-appropriate sequence as well. I wanted to also share this with you so you can see which age your child should know each pre-writing line or stroke by.

Also please remember these are suggested ages, every child develops at their own pace and so the ages may not be exact to your child's development. If you do think your child is behind please consult with your physician or a pediatric Occupational Therapist.

Developmental Sequence of Pre-writing Lines for Preschoolers

• Vertical – (Age 2 imitates, age 3 copies/masters)
• Horizontal  – (Age 2 imitates, age 3 copies/masters)
• Circle – (Age 2, age 3 copies/masters)
• Cross shape (+) – (Age 3 imitates, age 4 copies)
• Right/Left Diagonal Line – (Age 4)
• Square – (Age 4)
• X shape – (Age 4)
• Triangle (Age 5)

If you have any questions about age appropriate fine motor skills, you can check out my Age Appropriate Fine Motor Skills for Ages 0-6 Free Printable.

6 Pre-Writing Activities for Toddlers & Preschoolers

You can click each picture to take you to the post with that activity, or click the link directly below each picture.

Straight Lines Sensory Bin – For horizontal & vertical pre-writing lines

Pom Pom Task Tray – For circle shapes

Crossing Midline Parade – For cross (+) shapes

My House is Made of Shapes Puzzle Printable – Squares and Rectangle Shape

DIY Tic Tac Toe Board – Diagonal and “X” Shape

Sensory Tracing – Diamond & Triangle Shape

All of these activities are part of my new ebook: Basic Shapes for Beginners – A Hands-on Approach to Pre-writing Activities for Preschoolers. There are 30+ activities included, designed into a 6-week “program” for your preschooler ages 2-5. 

You can also find more pre-writing and handwriting activity ideas on my Pinterest board below.