This is a salt writing tray dressed up as a spider, and it is a brilliant way to coax a reluctant child into a bit of letter practice. A child traces letters and numbers in a shallow layer of salt with a finger, smooths it over with a shake, and starts again. The spider, made from a black paper plate with bendy straw legs, turns a plain writing tray into something a child actually wants to play with. Ages 2 to 5.
What you need
- A black paper plate for the spider’s body.
- Eight black bendy straws for the legs, and some tape to attach them to the back of the plate.
- Table salt, enough to cover the base of the plate in a thin layer.
- A small plastic spider on a stick or lollipop stick to draw with, plus a finger as backup. Googly eyes are a nice finishing touch on the body.
- A set of alphabet and number flashcards to copy from.
Making the spider tray
Turn the paper plate over and tape four straws to each side for the legs, bending them at the joint so the spider looks like it is crouching. Add a pair of googly eyes if you like. Then turn the plate the right way up and pour in a thin, even layer of salt. That is the writing surface, and the whole build takes only a few minutes.
Writing in the salt
Prop a flashcard above the tray and let a child copy the letter into the salt, either with a fingertip or with the little spider on its stick. The salt makes a satisfying line, and the best part is that a single shake of the tray wipes it clean, ready for the next try with no rubbing out and no fuss. That instant reset is exactly what takes the pressure off a child who freezes up at the sight of a pencil.
It works just as well for numbers, so you can move between letters and counting without changing anything but the flashcard. Tracing in salt builds the same finger movements and letter shapes as writing, but it feels like play, which for a reluctant writer makes all the difference.
For another mark-making activity that works the big arm movements behind early writing, our chalking the walls takes chalk to an outdoor wall or fence. And for more creepy-crawlies to color, our free animal coloring pages have plenty of bugs and minibeasts.