Magic rainbow sensory writing tray printable

Use this rainbow printable to make a rainbow sensory writing tray for colourful mark making and writing practice.

Rainbow sensory writing tray printable

A sensory writing tray is a wonderful piece of kit!

It’s good for very young children who are just learning about making marks all the way through to older children who are working on spelling.

The great advantage of using a writing tray is that it brings a multi sensory element to writing. Using a multi-sensory approach to learning means you can suit any child’s learning style: whether they are particularly in tune with moving, feeling, seeing, smelling, doing…

Children get a deeper understanding as they are coming to the learning through many different ways.

Plus it also makes the learning fun, which always makes you remember things more.

How to make a magic rainbow sensory writing tray

:: Find a container to be your tray. It needs to be shallow, so your children can easily write in it without having any trouble leaning their hand inside, and big enough to write a word. A kitchen tray, a baking tray with shallow sides, the lid off a storage box or a cardboard box with the sides cut down are all good options.

:: Use my printable rainbow insert (see below) and lay it down in the bottom of your tray. You can use several or cut them to size, to fit your tray. 

:: Fill your container, on top of the rainbow insert, with your choice of material: sand, salt, sugar all work. You only need a shallow layer of your material – if you make it too thick it’s hard to see the marks and letters you make.

:: Then you can use your finger, a pencil, or a twig to make marks and write in your tray. As you write you’ll reveal the hidden rainbow underneath!

How to Use Your Writing Tray

:: Younger children can use the tray to make marks, patterns, or single letters.

:: They can learn to write their own name.

:: Older children can use the tray as a multi-sensory and fun alternative to pencil and paper to practise spelling.

:: You can use a finger, pencil or a magic wand as your ‘pen’. 

:: You can use my rainbow alphabet printable alongside your writing tray and copy the letters.

:: You can use my gold coin number cards printable to practise writing numbers.

More rainbow themed activities