Pre-Writing Activities for Toddlers at Home

Before children learn to write letters, they need to master a set of foundational shapes and develop the fine motor control to form them. Here are some simple activities that make this kind of learning genuinely enjoyable for toddlers.

The 9 Pre-Writing Shapes

The nine shapes that form the building blocks of letter formation are: vertical line, horizontal line, circle, cross, diagonal lines, square, triangle, and curved lines. For children aged two to three and a half, the milestone targets are roughly:

• Vertical line by 2 years
• Horizontal line by 2.5 years
• Circle by 3 years
• Cross by 3.5 years

Do not be concerned if your child is not hitting these precisely - every child develops at their own pace.

Sand or Flour Tray

Fill a tray with a thin layer of sand, flour or salt. Show your child how to draw shapes and lines with a finger or a paintbrush. This tactile, multi-sensory approach helps children internalise the feel of each shape before moving to pencil and paper.

Play Dough and Scissors

Roll play dough into wriggly worms or snakes. Show your child how to cut through them with child-safe scissors. Play dough is far more forgiving than paper as it does not wobble or bend, making it a great material for learning how to control the force and direction of a cut.

Hidden Shapes Game

Mark out shapes on a piece of card and line a deep tray with the card. Cover completely with coloured rice, sand or dried lentils. Children uncover the hidden shapes with a paintbrush, naming and describing what they find. Great for vocabulary, shape recognition and fine motor control at once.

Letter Recognition

Cut letters from cardboard and let children fill the shapes with rice, beans or small beads. Start with the letters in their own name - children are naturally motivated to engage with something that belongs to them.

At Little Starlings in Balham, we weave pre-writing activities into everyday play from an early age. If you would like to find out more about how we support early learning, book a tour.