Flour Finger Drawing: illustration of a toddler doing the activity

Flour Finger Drawing

from 26 months · 10-15 min · Sensory

Expressive Arts and DesignPhysical DevelopmentCommunication and Language

What you need

  • flour
  • tray
  • small cup

How to do it

  1. Pour a thin layer of flour onto the tray
  2. Draw a line, circle or dot and ask them to copy it
  3. Let them shake the tray flat and draw their own shapes
  4. Name what they draw out loud, even if it's just a squiggle

Why it matters

Drawing shapes in flour with a fingertip builds the same hand control used for holding a pencil.

What they're learning

pre-writing lines
tracing shapes in flour is the first version of the strokes used to write letters
imitation
copying a shape you draw first teaches them to watch and repeat, a skill behind most learning
vocabulary building
naming shapes as they draw links the word to the action, growing their spoken words

What to look for

Watch for them trying to copy your shape rather than just scribbling randomly.

A tip

Do this on a tray with edges so the flour stays contained, and keep a damp cloth nearby for hands.

Make it easier or harder

Easier: just let them scribble freely, no copying

Harder: ask them to copy a simple face or a house shape

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Sensory activities · Activities for 2 year olds · Toddler activities with cups · Toddler activities with a tray