# Halloween Fine Motor and Writing Tray
> Spread black craft sand on a tray. Kids write sight words in it, then trace the letters with small stones, gems or gravel, or build googly-eyed monsters and faces. Switch to white sand to play again.
- URL: https://www.funlittles.com/halloween-fine-motor-tray/
- Ages: 3–7 yrs · Difficulty: easy · Mess: medium
- Time: prep 10 min, activity 20 min
- Works for: one-on-one, small group, whole class · one batch serves about 1 kids
- Skills: fine-motor, pre-writing, sight-words, imagination
- Cautions: ingestion-risk

## Materials (one batch)
- Black craft sand
- White craft sand (optional)
- 1 piece Wooden tray (or other contained tray)
- Black rocks
- White aquarium gravel
- Vase filler glass gems
- Halloween table scatters (e.g. ghost confetti) (optional)
- Googly eyes, assorted sizes
- 3 piece Small bowls for the loose parts (household)

## Safety
- Googly eyes, glass vase gems, gravel, small rocks and table scatters are choking hazards. Supervise closely and keep them away from children who still mouth objects.
- Keep sand away from eyes and mouths. Wash hands after play.
- Supervise sensory play at all times.

## Steps
1. Spread black craft sand over half of a tray.
2. Set out small bowls of black rocks, googly eyes, vase filler gems and gravel next to the sand.
3. Write a sight word in the sand with your finger.
4. Trace the letters you wrote with small stones, gems or gravel.
5. Make a monster or creature in the sand with googly eyes and Halloween scatters.
6. Switch to white sand and start over with the same supplies.
7. Build more monsters with googly eyes and rocks.
8. Make faces and designs with the stones and gems, any way you like.

## Tips
- Writing doesn't always have to be with just a pen or a pencil. I had the best luck with sensory writing when my kids were much younger. They were always eager to write with anything other than their pencils.
- Setting the supplies in a contained tray is the first step to getting them excited about writing.
- For a more play-based fine motor activity, invite them to create a monster or a creature. It's great for building imagination too.
- I love that this monster making activity took a shape of its own and turned into a face making fine motor activity.

## The original post by TurkeyMom (2016)

Writing doesn't always have to be with just with a pen or a pencil. In fact I have had the best luck with sensory writing right when my kids were much younger. They were always eager to write with anything other than their pencils. We have tried [**flour sensory writing**](https://www.funlittles.com/sensory-writing/), [**rainbow sensory writing**,](https://www.funlittles.com/sensory-activities-for-kids-rainbow-writing/) **[peppermint sensory writing tray](https://www.funlittles.com/sensory-activities-kids-peppermint-writing-tray/), [snow writing](https://www.funlittles.com/sensory-activities-kids-prewriting-pretend-snow/)** to mention a few. These writing activities were fantastic for their developing fine motor skills. Simple [**small world**](https://www.funlittles.com/category/small-world/) with a few [**sensory materials**](https://www.funlittles.com/category/sensory-bins/) is another activity that is great for their fine motor skills and this fine motor tray is an extension of a recent halloween sensory small world idea we shared recently { [**Make a ghost patch**](https://www.funlittles.com/halloween-activities-for-kids-make-a-ghost-patch/)}

### How to set up Halloween Fine Motor Skills and Writing tray

Materials **[Craft Sand Assortment](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002ATDMN6/?tag=blmemo-20)** **[Black Rocks](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KX31FX0/?tag=blmemo-20)** **[White Gravel](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DCVPL4E/?tag=blmemo-20)** **[White Craft Sand](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003CO81RA/?tag=blmemo-20)** **[Vase Filler Gem Glass Confetti,](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KHWV0Z0/?tag=blmemo-20)** **[Table Scatters Halloween](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HU3I44I/?tag=blmemo-20)** **[Googly Eyes](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0074MHV7W/?tag=blmemo-20)** Setting the supplies in a contained tray is the first of the few few steps to get them excited about writing.



I spread out some black craft sand on half of my favorite wooden tray { purchased from IKEA} and set out some black rocks, googly eyes, vase filler gems and some aquarium gravel .{ All products links available in the above materials section} You can have the kids trace out [**sight words**](https://www.funlittles.com/category/literacy/)



And then have the children trace the words they have written with small stones, gems or gravel.



To have a more play based fine motor skills activity, invite them to create a monster or a creature.



We switched out black sand and started all over with our white sand and the same supplies.



More Googly eyes and rocks were used this time. It was a great activity for building imagination as well.



More monsters and more fine motor skills.



Thanks to [craftprojectideas](http://craftprojectideas.com/) for supplying with a variety of googly eyes that we used.



I love that this monster making fine motor activity took a shape of its own and turned into a face making fine motor activity.



Don't forget to check out the [**Ghost Patch Small World Play idea**](https://www.funlittles.com/halloween-activities-for-kids-make-a-ghost-patch/)



Thanks for reading

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