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Home / Early Learning / Snow Writing Tray for a Preschool Arctic Theme

Snow Writing Tray for a Preschool Arctic Theme

Shared by Mary Catherine 10 Comments

This snow writing tray is easy to set up and lets kids practice emerging writing skills. Plus, it’s perfect for an Arctic theme or as one of your winter activities for preschoolers.

Are you following my Winter Animals Theme Pinterest board?

2 views of salt tray with text that reads arctic-themed snow writing tray

Related: Arctic Small World

Table of Contents

  • Snow Writing Tray
    • Arctic Salt Tray Learning Goals
    • Materials We Used
    • Winter Sensory Writing Tray Set-Up
    • Using the Arctic Snow Writing Tray
    • Other Ways to Use the Arctic Writing Tray
  • More Arctic Tundra-Themed Activities
  • Arctic Preschool Lesson Plans

Snow Writing Tray

Winter tends to be a great time to explore snow, colder areas of the world, and animals that live in colder climates.

To jump into a discussion about the Arctic tundra, I put together a sensory writing tray for the preschool kiddos. It was a highly engaging activity, and we had some great discussions!

arctic fox and igloo toys in salt writing tray

Related: Winter Songs for Preschoolers

Arctic Salt Tray Learning Goals

While this tray can be used for a variety of activities, these were my main objectives for the activity:

  • Introduce the concept of Arctic animals and the Arctic tundra
  • Reinforce left-to-right progression when writing
  • Practice writing different shapes, lines, and letters
  • Give the children a tactile sensory experience
  • Get some conversations going about Arctic animals and writing

Materials We Used

I kept the snow writing tray pretty simple. Just enough to give the kids sensory input while adding a few Arctic-themed items.

You can modify your materials based on your own preferences. But here’s what we used (I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post):

  • Kosher salt
  • Safari Ltd. Arctic Toob
  • Glass gems
  • Card stock
  • Bamboo tray
  • Bamboo bowl

Winter Sensory Writing Tray Set-Up

Start off by placing a shallow layer of kosher salt in a tray. We used a bamboo tray, but you can use a different type of tray if you prefer.

Next, place the glass gems into a small bowl. My students loved this bamboo bowl, so they requested we use it for the gems. I was happy to oblige.

Once the snow writing tray is ready to go, make your writing prompt cards. Do so by writing various designs on strips of card stock. You can also use letter or number cards.

I have a huge stash of white card stock cut into 1 1/2-inch strips, so I grabbed some of those. I drew a few different designs on the strips, from rolling curves to zigzags.

Finally, add the Arctic animal toys. You can place them to the side of the tray or right there in the salt.

view of salt tray with bowl of glass gems, arctic animal toys, and zig zag line prompt

Related: Arctic Animal STEM Activity

Using the Arctic Snow Writing Tray

Call your students over and explain that you’ve created an Arctic tundra tray for them to play and write in.

I suggest starting off with some free exploration of the items. This way the children can run their fingers through the salt, use the animal toys, and play with the glass gems. My students scooped salt, dumped glass gems into the salt, and told stories with the animals.

preschoolers using a salt tray with glass gems in it

Related: Arctic Animals Preschool Printables

This is a great time to chat with the children. My class and I had some fun conversations, running the gamut from Christmas presents, to what snowflakes look like, to the Arctic tundra, to caribou versus reindeer.

After that, you can move onto the mark-making aspect of the sensory writing tray.

Start off by placing the igloo on the right-hand side of the tray, with an animal of the left-hand side. Put a pattern card along the top of the tray.

Then have the children draw paths in the salt using the Arctic animals. We had them walk, hop, and swim to the igloo at the other end. Sometimes we used the glass gems to mark the lines, as well. Of course, the kiddos created their own tracks and lines along the way too! Sometimes they used the animals, and other times they used their fingers.

salt tray with wavy line writing prompt and arctic animal

Related: Winter Messy Play Ideas

My students really enjoyed this snowy writing tray. We ended up having it out for about two weeks, with the kids engaged every school day.

Other Ways to Use the Arctic Writing Tray

This snow writing tray can be used for a variety of other activities, too. Here are just a few:

  • Write letters, names, and words in the salt
  • Work on writing numbers in the salt
  • Write a number, and then add the correct amount of glass gems

How would you and your kids explore this sensory writing experience?

More Arctic Tundra-Themed Activities

Here are more activities to tray alongside the Arctic snow writing tray:

Home-made Books: Tundra by Powerful Mothering

Arctic Animals Writing Prompts by The Educators’ Spin On It

Why Are Polar Bears White? | Animal Adaptations on the Arctic Tundra by Raising Lifelong Learners

Tundra Animal Sharing and Halving by Rainy Day Mum

Arctic Animal Matching Games by Life Over C’s

Arctic Animals Preschool Science:  Blubber and Ice Explorations! by The Preschool Toolbox Blog

Learning About the Woolly Bear Caterpillar by Capri + 3

Arctic Preschool Letter Hunt by No-Stress Homeschooling

Polar Bear Sound Activity by Growing Book by Book

Arctic Preschool Lesson Plans

Save time and get right to the playful learning with our printable lesson plan sets. Each set includes book suggestions, printable plans, over 30 learning activities (both whole group and centers) related to the theme, and corresponding printables (listed below).

Arctic Preschool Lesson Plans cover

Get your Arctic Preschool Lesson Plans at Preschool Teacher 101 or Teachers Pay Teachers.

The preschool printables that come with these plans are:

  • Arctic Animal Sort – Animals that Live on Land versus Animals that Live in Water
  • Animal Puzzles (in color and b/w)
  • The Arctic Emergent Reader (3 versions)
  • Arctic Letter Puzzles (in color and b/w)
  • Number Cards 0-35 (in color and b/w)
  • Arctic Roll and Graph Game (in color and b/w)
  • Picture and Word Cards of Arctic Animals(in color and b/w)
  • Hungry Polar Bear Subtraction Game
  • Feed the Beluga Counting Game
  • Arctic Hare Shape Hop Board Game
  • Spin and Fill Math 10 Frame Activity (in color and b/w)
  • Snowy Owl Uppercase and Lowercase ABC Matching Activity (in color and b/w)
Sensory writing tray that is perfect for a winter or arctic preschool theme - lots of sensory input and tons of room for practicing important early writing skills

Originally published January 2016

3 views of preschool salt tray with text that reads snowy salt writing tray for preschool

Filed Under: Early Learning Tagged With: #TeachECE, Arctic, Fine Motor, Winter

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  1. Amanda Boyarshinov says

    January 6, 2016 at 8:23 am

    What fun! I have some fake snow polymer that may work with this station. Will try it out this afternoon!

    Reply
  2. Natasha Johnson-Ivy says

    January 6, 2016 at 8:42 am

    This is such a cool idea. It looks pretty and I love that my kids would thik they were just playing.

    Reply
    • Mary Catherine says

      July 23, 2016 at 6:08 pm

      Exactly! Thanks Natasha!

      Reply
  3. Cerys says

    January 6, 2016 at 12:15 pm

    This is brilliant – we’re going to give this a go with letters as we’ve got the basic forms down just need to combine them.

    Reply
  4. Colleen says

    January 6, 2016 at 4:10 pm

    I love this idea. We’ll be trying this tomorrow! THanks….

    Reply
  5. Theresa says

    January 6, 2016 at 10:01 pm

    Your arctic sensory tray looks so inviting. Ours kids would love it.

    Reply
  6. Jodie says

    January 6, 2016 at 10:06 pm

    Oh my goodness this is fantastic! Using the TOOB animals is a great addition to the sensory tray.

    Reply
  7. Nicolette says

    January 7, 2016 at 8:50 pm

    LOVE IT!
    We have yet to try writing trays mine always want to make it fizz or create things 🙂 hehe

    This is great!

    Reply
    • Mary Catherine says

      July 23, 2016 at 6:08 pm

      Thanks, Nicolette! 🙂

      Reply
  8. alecia says

    January 8, 2016 at 3:26 pm

    This is wonderful! We needed a little mix up for our writing. Thanks for a great idea!

    Reply
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My name is Mary Catherine, and I love to share meaningful {and fun} learning activities for kiddos! Feel free to browse and stay awhile!

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