# Pre-writing in Pretend Snow
> Kids write letters with a finger in a sensory bin of sparkly Epsom salt 'snow', then trace them with colorful pom poms. It's a winter invitation for letter practice, fine motor work and pattern making.
- URL: https://www.funlittles.com/sensory-activities-kids-prewriting-pretend-snow/
- Ages: 3–5 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 2 kids
- Skills: pre-writing, letter-recognition, fine-motor, patterns, sensory-exploration, pretend-play
- Cautions: ingestion-risk

## Materials (one batch)
- Epsom salt
- Iridescent flakes
- Pom poms, assorted colors and sizes
- 1 piece Plastic bin with a lid (household)
- 1 piece Small dish or tray for the pom poms (optional) (household)

## Safety
- Epsom salt and iridescent flakes are not food. Supervise so kids don't eat the pretend snow or rub it in their eyes, and wash hands after play.
- Pom poms and flakes are small parts and a choking hazard. Supervise closely, especially with toddlers and kids who still mouth things.
- Set the bin up where you can watch the kids. TurkeyMom keeps it in the kitchen and doesn't trust her 3-year-old alone with this kind of sensory material.

## Before you start
- Set up the winter sensory bin: pour Epsom salt into a plastic bin and mix in iridescent flakes.

## Steps
1. Pour Epsom salt into a plastic bin to make a layer of pretend snow.
2. Sprinkle in iridescent flakes so the snow sparkles.
3. Set a dish of colorful pom poms next to the bin.
4. Write a letter in the snow with your finger.
5. Place pom poms along the lines to trace the letter.
6. Talk about patterns as you line up the colors.
7. Make your own designs and patterns with the pom poms.
8. Sprinkle snow over the pom poms to make a snowfall on 'pom pom people'.
9. Put the lid on the bin to save the snow for more play later.

## Tips
- Of course, we are all about child-led play here. The letter writing kick didn't last long, and she wanted to make her own designs. That turned into a great fine motor workout and a beautiful pattern.
- Once she carefully arranged her pom poms on the letter, she stood back and clapped her hands in pure joy.
- Even though she didn't do a whole lot of pre-writing that day, she came back and wrote in the sensory bin plenty of times during the day. Keep the pretend snow in a covered plastic bin so it's ready to go.
- Keep it in a place where you can watch them, preferably the kitchen, unless you want your living room turned into a pretend snow winter wonderland.
- Get yourself some Epsom salt for a wide variety of sensory play this winter.

## The original post by TurkeyMom (2013)

I have personally seen that through sensory activities for kids, the children learn so much more than what's visible to our eyes. This post is a great example for that thought. It started out as an structured invitation to play. The toddler was eager to follow along the same lines but soon switched gears and turned it into a wonderful sensorial pretend play ( tomorrow' post) Today I shared my invitation - learning letters on the pretend snow. {We have done a fun corn flour [**sensory writing activity**](https://www.funlittles.com/sensory-writing/) and a recent [**sensory rainbow writing**](https://www.funlittles.com/sensory-activities-for-kids-rainbow-writing/) before} { Access all our [**alphabet activities for kids**](https://www.funlittles.com/category/literacy/) here } For winter themed sensory activity you will need {Amazon Product Links for your reference}

- **[Epsom Salt](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000JJAVPQ/?tag=blmemo-20)**
- **[Iridescent Flakes](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004C1W1Z0/?tag=blmemo-20)**
- **[Pom-Poms](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00342VCVW/?tag=blmemo-20)**

Be sure to see our yesterday's post on a simple [**winter sensory bin**](https://www.funlittles.com/sensory-activities-for-kids-winter-sensory-play-with-pretend-snow/) where we introduced the fun we had with just Epsom salt and pretend snow flakes. Following along the same lines, we used the sensory bin to do practice some letters writing.  The 3 year old did some wonderful pre-writing in the sparkly pretend snow.  She can now write the letter "A" and she was eager to write that and trace the letter with the brightly colored pom poms.



It was a wonderful fine motor exercise and a good opportunity to talk about patterns. Once she carefully arranged her pom poms on the letter, she stood back and clapped her hands in pure joy. It was fun to watch it. Well, the letter writing kick did not last lost and she wanted to make her own designs.



Of course, we are all about child-led play here. A great fine motor workout resulted in a beautiful pattern on our pretend sparkly snow.



Pattern making turned in even more involved play time.



and resulted in snow fall on "pom pom people"



When big sister joined in it resulted in a super fun role play in a small tub of pretend snow. That's for tomorrow.

Thanks for reading and get yourself some Epsom salt for a wide variety of sensory play this winter.

Note: Although on that particular she did not engage in pre-writing a whole lot, she did come back and wrote in that sensory bin plenty of times during the day. I kept the pretend snow in a covered plastic bin and would catch her playing in it all the time. Be sure to keep it in a place where you can watch them , preferably in the kitchen since I don't trust the 3 year old alone with this kind of sensory material - unless I want my living room to be turned into a pretend snow winter wonderland.

Some links for you