Write your way through summer vacation!

By: Elizabeth Isley, OTR/L

Looking for ways to work on handwriting after school is out for the summer? Won’t be in town for one of BPHT’s Handwriting Camps this summer? Spending a bunch of time in the car and need an alternative to screen time? There are many ways to incorporate this during the summer while at home, outside, and even in the car! Below are some fun activities you can do with your child to practice writing and work on the different aspects of handwriting such as letter formation, spacing of words, and letter recognition.

• Write letters in sand or dirt using your finger or a stick
• Spend time outside writing and drawing with side walk chalk
• Write on a mirror or window using “window markers”
• Use your finger to trace a letter on your child’s back or hand. Then, have them guess the letter
• Use letter magnets on the fridge to make words and then have your child write down the word
• Have your child decorate a small popsicle stick and have them use that when they write as a spacer in between words
• Have letters or words preprinted on a sheet of paper. Have your child write over them with a marker, crayon, squeeze bottle of glitter, etc.
• In the car, bring along a small whiteboard for your child to write down different things they see while they are in the car, write a story, or play a game like hang-man
• Buy your child a special journal and pencil for them to write about all their summer adventures
• Send a letter in the mail to their grandparents or friends

As you can see, there are so many fun ways to work on your child’s writing skills. Try out a few of these ideas this summer and see how it goes! As always, you can check in with your OT to see if they have other ideas to keep handwriting fresh for your child or if your child needs a little extra help.

Have a great summer!

~ Miss Liz