How to Make Colored Dyed Salt DIY Montessori Writing Tray

How to make at-home DIY colored dyed salt tracing and writing trays in no time for preschoolers to practice letter formation and refine fine motor control | FREE Printable.

Here is how to make DIY colored dyed salt writing trays to help your little one work on letter formation. If you have never heard of a tracing/writing tray, it is a tray or a shallow container with a layer of salt, sand, rice, grain, or other sensory filler.

Children use their finger(s) to practice pre-writing strokes and lines or practice forming letters, words, numbers, or even shapes. It is much easier for early writers to trace in salt than to hold a pencil and write/trace with it.

Most importantly, by adding a sensory dimension to the activity, a child is utilizing and refining the sense of touch, creating better and stronger synaptic connections within the developing brain.

Colored Dyed Salt Tracing | Writing Trays

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Dyed salt is so satisfying! It is silky to the touch, taste-safe, and non-perishable. You can use this tracing tray to practice pre-writing strokes or explore textures with babies and toddlers; however, in this activity, we use this sensory tray to practice letter formation.

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Creating Your Own Colored Salt

Creating your own DIY colored salt tracing tray is a fantastic sensory play activity that engages children in many ways. To get started, you’ll need a cup of salt and several resealable plastic bags or recycled jars. Divide the salt into the bags and add a few drops of liquid food coloring to each one to create a variety of vibrant colors. Seal the bags tightly and let the children mix and massage the salt until it’s evenly colored. Once dry, the colored salt can be used in sensory bins, on sensory tables, or even as part of craft projects. It’s a great way to explore different textures and colors while encouraging fine motor skills and creativity. Plus, the process of making their own colored salt is a ton of fun and offers endless possibilities for play and learning!

Detailed instructions are below.

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How to Make DIY Colored Salt Tray

Colored Dyed Salt Recipe

This recipe is one of the easiest and least expensive you would have ever made! It has a sand-like texture but is even silkier without all the hindrances the beach salt brings. [Raise your hand if you are like me and prefer to leave the sand at the beach! Lol] Besides, you can make the most beautiful colors! Salt trays are very effective for practicing pre-writing skills, which are essential to learning how to write or practicing letter or number formation.

What You’ll Need To Make Colored Dyed Salt Writing Trays

Here is a list of materials you will need to make colored dyed salt:

1. *a tray
2. table salt
3. food coloring or other food dyes
4. recycled jars or ziplock bags (or other resealable bag)
5. cookie sheet for drying
6. a small rake (optional)
7. letter formation cards

*For a tray, use what you have, but make sure there is a contrast between the color of your tray and the tracing medium.

Don’t have salt? No problem! Fine grain, cornmeal, flour, or baking soda will also work.

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Is Montessori Language Curriculum Unique?

The Montessori Language Curriculum is Based on Experiential Learning

The Montessori Language curriculum is like no other! This unique method is rooted in experiential learning and uses scientifically designed didactic materials proven to support the development of language skills in a holistic and integrated way.

Mult-Sensory Stimulation

The hands-on activities and materials, such as the moveable alphabet, sandpaper letters, and tracing trays, are designed to engage children’s senses and promote multisensory learning, which has been shown to enhance cognitive development and learning outcomes (Brauer & Browning, 2015).

Scientific Findings back up Montessori Language Curriculum

Additionally, studies have shown that the Montessori approach’s emphasis on hands-on learning, individualized instruction, and multisensory learning is particularly effective for children with language delays or disorders or children with developmental needs (Hornby & Witte, 2018).

Montessori Language Curriculum Fosters Early Reading

So, give your child the gift of literacy and watch them climb the literacy ladder step-by-step with confidence and ease, starting as early as 18 months. Unlock their full potential and observe your child progress from engaging in Sound Games to the tactile and auditory exploration of phonetic sets to embarking on a reading journey while following The PBG Scheme.

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Is it possible to dye salt?

Yes, it is possible to dye salt, and below are the simple steps to make gorgeous, colorful, dyed salt in no time!

1. Step 1: As a first step, place salt either in a jar or a bag.
2. Step 2: Add liquid watercolor and close tight.
3. Step 3: Shake, shake, and shake!
4. Step 4: Spread salt out on a tray to dry.

How to Make Colored Dyed Salt

Below are the instructions on how to make dyed rice either in a ziplock bag or in a recycled jar:

ZipLock Bag Option

First, pour salt into a zip-lock bag. Then, add a few drops of food coloring to the bag. Next, remove the air from the bag and close it well. Lastly, shake the bag until the salt is coated evenly.

Little goes a long way! I added a drop or two. The more you add, the more saturated the color will be.)

Recycled Jar Option

You can also mix the salt in a recycled jar.

First, pour the salt into a recycled jar.

Next, add a few drops of food coloring.

Then, shake the jar until the salt is coated evenly. You might have to open the jar and use a fork to break the clumps of salt apart. Close, shake, and repeat.  

Lastly, pour the salt onto a tray to only cover the bottom.

Don’t pour too much salt since you want to see the bottom of the tray when tracing a line in salt with a finger.

How do you make edible colored salt?

Below is the video tutorial on how to make colorful and gorgeous dyed salt in no time.

DIY Colored Salt Tracing Tray: A Sensory and Creative Adventure

Creating your own DIY colored salt tracing tray is a fantastic sensory play activity that engages children in many ways. To begin, gather a cup of salt and divide it into resealable plastic bags. Add a few drops of liquid food coloring to each bag to create different colors of salt. Seal the bags tightly, let the kids squish, and mix the salt until it’s evenly colored. This hands-on process not only introduces them to the concept of mixing colors but also allows them to feel the texture of salt crystals and explore various color options.

Once the colored salt is dry, it can be used for sensory bins, on sensory tables, or as part of art projects. Children can use the colored salt to create textured artwork, sprinkle it on glue drawings, or even fill sensory bottles for shaking and observing color mixing. The fun part is experimenting with different ways to use their own art materials, promoting creativity and sensory exploration. Whether it’s for a current art project or saved for next time, having a variety of colors of salt or colored sand opens up endless possibilities for sensory play and creative expression.

Montessori Literacy | The Basics

While you can use these sensory tracing trays as a pre-writing practice (tracing lines, zig-zags, and curves), I am using them to practice the first phonetical set/cmat/ according to the Montessori language curriculum.

In a Montessori language curriculum, letters are introduced phonetically (the way they sound) rather than by their letter names. Also, letters are presented first in phonetical sets rather than in a commonly known ABC order.

The phonetical grouping of certain consonants and vowels has been proven to be more effective than others in allowing children to form quickly as many words as possible using those sounds. There are a few Montessori Phonetical Alphabet grouping sets suggested. The order we follow is indicated by Tim Seldin.

Montessori Phonetical Order

Download the 1st phonetical set below.

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Below is the phonetical order in which to introduce the alphabet sound to a child:

1. /c m a t /
2. /s r i p /
3. /b f o g/
4. / h j u l /
5. /d w e n/
6. /k q v / – /x y z /

The Montessori language curriculum is like no other! You can start as early as 18 months while exploring spoken language and enriching vocabulary with ‘I SPY’ and other sound games.

A child then gradually progressed towards phonemic awareness practice, letter hunts, tactile letter formation tracing, etc. Children who follow the Montessori language curriculum can learn to blend and read as early as three and a half years. This pedagogy is brilliant, and it works!

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What Do Children Use To Trace With?

Children can use an index finger, a stick, or a paintbrush to trace/form letters in the sand. However, using fingers provides the most sensory experience. Running a finger through the gritty salt provides a fantastic tactile experience, which will help little ones remember the shape of each letter they make.

No Dye, No Problem, Keep it Non-colored!

Please note that you can choose not to dye the salt, but make sure to present the activity on a contrasting color tray. [Please, no white on white.] Or layer colorful paper onto the tray to give it a color pop. Because tracing in white salt on a white tray will not be pronounced to visually discriminate the shape/letter a child is tracing.

How To Make A Salt Tray More Enticing?

Use Colorful Paper

The tray and salt should be contrasted in color. Such disparity makes the letters more visible when a child traces them. Also, you can spark interest by placing different-colored paper on the bottom of the tray. You can use plain, colorful, whimsical scrapbook paper or even textured or glitter paper. This step is crucial if you choose not to color your salt. 

Details HERE DIY Montessori Tracing Trays.

When Do Children typically start to follow the Letter Tracing Directions?

Children typically start to follow the tracing directions of letters around the age of 4 to 5 years old. However, the exact age can vary depending on individual development and exposure to pre-writing activities. Here are some general developmental milestones and factors that contribute to a child’s ability to start tracing letters:

Developmental Milestones

Fine Motor Skills:

• Age 2-3: At this stage, children begin to develop the fine motor skills necessary for writing. They can start with simple activities like drawing lines and circles.
• Age 3-4: Children improve their hand-eye coordination and can start to control writing tools better. They may begin to imitate drawing shapes and some letters.
• Age 4-5: Most children can start to follow tracing directions for letters. They can control a pencil or crayon with greater precision and understand the concept of tracing along lines.

Cognitive Development:

• Age 3-4: Children start to recognize letters and may show interest in writing. They begin to understand that letters have specific shapes and forms.
• Age 4-5: Children can follow multi-step directions and understand the sequence of steps needed to trace letters.

Visual-Motor Integration:

• Age 3-4: Children develop the ability to visually track and replicate simple shapes.
• Age 4-5: This ability extends to more complex shapes, including letters, enabling them to trace accurately.

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Letter Formation Tracing Cards Freebie

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Factors Influencing Tracing Skills

Early Exposure and Practice: Regular exposure to pre-writing activities like coloring, drawing, and playing with puzzles helps develop the necessary skills for tracing letters.

Parental and Educator Support: Parental and educator guidance in practicing letter tracing can significantly influence the development of these skills.

Montessori Approach: Montessori materials, such as sandpaper letters and tracing boards, provide tactile and visual experiences that enhance letter recognition and tracing skills.

Tips for Encouraging Letter Tracing

Start with Simple Shapes: Trace simple lines and shapes before moving on to letters. This helps build the foundational skills needed for more complex tracing.

Use Tracing Worksheets: Provide worksheets with dotted letters that children can trace over. Gradually decrease the guidance as they become more proficient.

Incorporate Fun Activities: To make the practice enjoyable, use creative and engaging activities like tracing letters in sand, with finger paint, or on a whiteboard.

Provide Positive Reinforcement: Encourage and praise children for their efforts and progress to build their confidence and motivation.

By understanding these developmental milestones and supporting children through targeted activities and encouragement, you can effectively help them develop their letter-tracing skills.

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For More Literacy Ideas …

See HERE DIY Alphabet-Objects Wood-Transfer Labels.

Have you tried setting up Colored Dyed Salt Writing-Trays? Leave a comment!

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