Sometimes it’s the simplest things that bring the most joy around here. Actually, most of the time.

This activity came together quickly and with materials that most people probably already have in the house. Let your little one guide where this goes and you’ll be amazed.  

Pour salt into a tray (or baking sheet… anything with sides) and you’re off! We started with letters. Jackson LOVES spelling his name. Then Lucas’s name. Then Mama. (I’m trying so hard to hold onto this. I’m not ready for m-o-m.)

Just give the tray a shake and you’ve got a blank canvas. 

I used some notecards to present different shapes to draw and identify. You could also do numbers, letters, words, etc. 

After working on these for a while, we set aside the tools and I sat back to see where Jackson would take it. He drew a moon. Then a long, straight line next to it. 

Have you read “Papa, Please Get The Moon For Me” by Eric Carle? It’s one of our favorites. Monica’s papa climbs a very long ladder to get the moon for her. Jackson and I have been reading the book a lot lately, and he incorporated it into our salt writing activity. Art. Story retelling. Playing is learning. Hands on learning. Play matters. 

The last thing we did with the salt was more letter play. As soon as I brought out the letters, J found the MDJL (mama, daddy, Jackson, Lucas). This kid.

Next, I buried a letter or two in the salt and Jackson found them. Then J did the burying (he likes to pretend he’s plowing snow). 

We had a blast with salt writing and hope you do too!