When I am working with preschool and kindergarten aged children on forming the letters of the alphabet, I like to go beyond the traditional pancil and worksheet approach, and incorporate a variety of mediums and activities for writing. This helps to hold kids’ attention, and to keep working on the alphabet feel like fun. It can also be a great way to build the confidence of kids who may not have quite developed the fine motor skills and pincer grip necessary to write clearly with a pencil.
One particularly fun activitiy for kids who like to get messy is to make fingerprint letters. I use a pencil to write a letter of the alphabet (or word or phrase) on a piece of paper, and give kids a variety of coloured ink pads to choose from. They then dip their fingers into the ink, and follow along the lines of the letters to form them out of finger prints. With Father's Day around the corner, we used the technique to make fingerprint Father's Day cards.
In order to make a fingerprint message card with your toddler, preschooler, or kindergarten student, here is what you need to do:
1. Write your message in pencil on a sheet of white paper (large, capital letters work best).
2. Next, set out ink pads in a variety of colours. Have kids press their fingers into the colour of their choice, and then make finger prints along the lines of each letter or shape. Wipe or wash fingers between using different colours in order to ensure clearly coloured prints.
3. When ink is set, use an eraser to gently erase the lines behind the finger print letters.
4. Glue message onto the front of a folded sheet of cardstock, and write your message or draw a picture inside.
That is it! You have practised the alphabet, taken care of your Father's Day card, and created a keepsake craft all in one easy and fun activity.
