Hi - looking for some inspiration with a slightly tricky activity request...

I have been asked to spend a little time each week encouraging foundation stage children to practice letter formation (in particular, concentrating on the letters of their name)

I usually work with a teacher who really understands the EYFS ethos of learning through play - but this activity will be for a teacher who is a little more 'traditional' - shall we say! (in Yr R of Infant school))

I generally offer activities that involve the children being hands-on, messy and tactile but the teacher is not allowing many materials (compost, shaving foam, cornflour to name a few)

I am looking for activities where they can mix letter formation with general pattern-making and still have fun.

I have used glitter with children 'writing' using cotton buds and oats, squeezy water bottles etc but low on manageable activities that the teacher is likely to approve!

Would be grateful for some ideas please

I made the shapes of numerals yesterday with a group of reception children and a pile of glass beads on a table-top. they lovled the sensory experience and could all work together to push the beads into one big numeral. I might use a tuff spot or tray next time though as we had quite a few on the floor afterwards.

We don't have those wonderful sand tray boxes for forming letter shapes in, but we sprinkle a little dry sand on a table top and the children write in that with their fingers, was going to say glitter in trays but just read you've done that - we form their letters from play dough, do you have any letters you could use to do rubbings with, some of our children like to do that when learning the letters in their names.

what about mark making with plain old water and a paint brush on the ground outdoors. (if we have a dry day)

Paint rollers and paint for a larger scale
Arm waving/ sky writing
letter sand moulds (then trace with finger)
Playdough mats (sparkle box resource)
roll and write letters (available from GLS/NES)
peg trays
sandpaper letters etc. etc etc,

But despite using all the above, our children just love using whiteboard pens and whiteboards as it makes them feel "grown up"
.

How about using candles on white paper then adding a ink or food colouring wash so that the letters magically appear?
korkycat

Have you seen the aquadraw system. this is a special mat which is blank apart from some motifs, but when water is applied to it marks come through, we have the rainbow aquadraw and the children love to practice with this, there is a special pen to fill with water which looks a bit like a chunky felt tipped pen. When they have finished the mat dries out and as it does so the pictures, writing or whatever just disappears.

Ours love the candle thing too had some great abstract patterns etc. with that. We also have whiteboards and an old blackboard and easel which they adore. We also do finger painting on the old whiteboards and then put on a sheet of paper and "print off" their patterns.

what about shaving foam - they can form the letters,make patterns etc - then wipe them away and start again - ours love it

I love this thread - i'd forgotten about shaving foam, although I use a children's crazy bath foam stuff from Tescos. I'm going to make a lovely long list of these ideas and keep it in the CLL file

We've put out-of-date flour in our tuff spot this week with different sized paint brushes (dry). The children can make marks in the flour. We also use cous cous or lentils- a thin covering to cover the base of the Tuff spot. Children make marks,then shake the tuff spot to re-distribute the cous cous.

Some really great ideas - thanks everyone