Sand Names

Purpose: Sand letters provide a hands-on experience that will help 3-6-year-olds become familiar with the shapes of the letters of the alphabet.  This activity gives children a tactile experience of the letters as well as practice reading and writing their names.  It helps children to anchor their letter knowledge and is particularly helpful for children of any age who have difficulty learning visually and verbally.  This activity is for children (generally older than 3) who have begun to make the connection between letters and sounds.  The ability to discriminate between and recognize the letters is critical to their future reading success. 

 

Materials/Advance Preparation:

• sand
• construction paper
• glue
• powdered tempera paint 
• containers for sand
• paint brushes for the glue
• Write each child's name on a piece of construction paper in block letters.
• To create different colors of sand, add powdered tempura paint to small batches of sand. Different colored sand makes the letters look beautiful.

Directions:

1. Provide each child with his or her own piece of construction paper with his/her name in block letters.

2. Have the children place glue on the letters and put different colors of sand on the glue.  Don't worry if some children prefer to make creative designs, too!

3. Encourage the children to identify each letter as they work, offering as much help as guidance and each child needs.  For example, say "B-I-L-L does spell your name, Bill."
4. When done, the sand names can be sent home or can be used to identify the child's own space in the classroom (e.g., a cubby or other storage area).

Notes:  For younger children, you can simply provide sand, glue, and paper, and let them create art.  As they work, you can point out any letter-like shapes that you may see:  "Look!  I see a shape that looks like an 'L'.  Lenore's name begins with L."

 

Eric Gidseg

 

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