Dough Snake Letters
What you need
- a ball of play dough
- a sheet of paper with the first letter of their name drawn big
How to do it
- Draw the first letter of your child's name big on the paper, with a line thick enough to lay a dough snake on.
- Let them roll the dough into long snakes, pressing with flat hands and rolling forwards and back.
- Lay the snakes along the letter, bending and pinching them to fit the curves and corners.
- Trace the dough letter with a finger and say its sound, then try another letter from their name.
Why it matters
Long dough snakes take strong hands to roll, and bending one into a letter lets their fingers feel its shape.
What they're learning
- Rolling dough
- Flat hands, forwards and back, for a long snake.
- Letter shapes
- Curves and corners, bent to fit.
- Letter sounds
- Saying the sound, not the name, as they trace it.
What to look for
Notice them tracing their dough letter with a finger without being asked.
A tip
Letters with straight lines, like L, T or E, are easiest to start with.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: make a big circle or a straight line first, then try the letter
Harder: make every letter of their name and lay them out in order
