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If you’ve been hanging around our blog for any length of time, you have probably heard me talk about multisensory learning and how important it is. When kids learn with all their senses, they are far more likely to remember what they learn.
Well, if you’ve never tried using salt trays as a sensory writing exercise for your children, this blog post is for you!
Children of all ages and abilities can benefit from this great kinesthetic activity. Watch the video below to see how easy it is to make your own salt tray!
Salt trays are perfect for practicing these skills:
Handwriting, basic letter formation, and fixing letter reversals
Mix salt, color, and fragrance to create a colorful, scented salt mixture.
Spread the salt mixture in a shallow pan.
Start writing!
Download this free printable to get complete instructions, fun variations, and a full set of uppercase and lowercase alphabet cards.
10 Scented Salt Trays
Our download includes ten fragrant recipes that will increase the sensory impact of your salt trays. Download Make Your Own Salt Tray now and pick your favorite!
Lavender Salt Tray – purple salt and the calming aroma of lavender
Creamsicle Salt Tray – orange salt with the citrusy scent of summer
Candy Cane Salt Tray – red salt with the festive aroma of the holidays
Lemonade Salt Tray – yellow salt with a fresh lemony scent
Pumpkin Spice Salt Tray – orange salt and the scent of autumn
Chocolate Salt Tray – brown salt with the sweet smell of chocolate
Almond Joy Salt Tray – brown salt and a hint of almond and coconut
Strawberry Banana Salt Tray – red salt and the aroma of a fruit smoothie
Root Beer Float Salt Tray – brown salt and a whiff of root beer and ice cream (minus the glass!)
Sugar Cookie Salt Tray – beige salt with the smell of a fresh-baked cookie
Tips for Using Your Salt Tray
You can use a baking dish, jelly roll pan, or cafeteria tray to create your salt tray.
Having a colored backdrop helps the letters show up better. If your tray isn’t colored, you can tape colored paper in the bottom of the tray for contrast.
Put the tray on a towel or tablecloth for easy clean-up.
Add a thin layer of salt to the tray. If you use too much salt, it is hard to see the letters.
For young children who are just learning the alphabet, place the letter card next to the tray for the child’s reference.
Use the pointer finger of the dominant hand to “write” in the salt.
Shake the pan gently to “erase” the writing.
More Sensory Tray Ideas
Here are a few more materials you can add to a tray or pan. Food coloring or scents can be added to these materials as well, or they can just be left plain.
Please direct me to someone who can give me a list of books and other printed material on teaching methods for reversals, auditory inability to recognize letter sounds and how to understand all the problems that are the basis of individuals having trouble learning to read and write–for helping children, teenagers and adults (My husband is auditorily dyslexic.) and with the names of schools for dyslexics and what they are like and stories about individuals who have been helped there and the teaching methods used….I received a Master’s degree in remedial reading some 50 years ago. I need to know what has been learned since I was in school so I can be knowledgable enough to volunteer my time to help when opportunities become available. I am reading what I can find on the Net. Thank you!
I have been researching fun hands-on ways to spice up my son’s letter formation. This is perfect! I love all the recipes and it will definitely access all his senses!
I’ve used salt trays with my son and in my kinder and 1st grade classrooms. The kids love them!!! Poor things, I never colored or scented my salt!! But I usually had a bright colored plastic plate or tray underneath.
Amy,
I think the color or scent is just a nice change-up. I think the salt itself is what is so great, and using it with a brightly colored background is great too.
Babette,
Yes, All About Reading and All About Spelling work wonderfully well with ADHD students!
All About Reading and All About Spelling are multisensory programs that approach learning through sight, sound, and touch, and are scripted for one-on-one instruction. They require just short lessons daily and are easy to do at home without special training or previous experience. The programs are mastery-based rather than grade-level based, so you can choose the levels that fit your student’s needs and customize the review and pace.
Please let me know if you need information about placement or have any questions.
I love this idea! We haven’t used a salt tray in a while. Never Thought to color it. We have colored rice also. Deff gon a try this with our sight words tomorrow.
My kids love this and even as they get older, it’s a great way to practice spelling words in a way that’s not so mundane! Having lots of variety keeps things fun for sure.
We loved using salt trays! So fun – tactile, visual and even sound with this method of teaching the writing and sounds of letters for phonics. Even the movement part of sensory is folded in – it’s a win for everyone! Colored sand makes it especially fun – changing it up now and then keeps it interesting.
My 5 year old uses a salt tray to practice writing her letters, all the older kids end up with their fingers in the salt too. This is great all the way around!
Salt trays really helped my littles with their beginning letters to read and write. I let them both pick a color sand and it made learning fun and is especially good to take outside!
It can be a bit messy, Renee, but that is why we recommend salt trays instead of sand trays. A wet cloth makes salt clean up easier than sand clean up!
I love salt trays. They may end up messy with my youngest but they are far more engaging to both of my girls than any pen and paper activity out there!
Sanaa
says:It’s amazing thank you so much
Robin
says: Customer ServiceYou are very welcome, Sanaa!
Maria
says:I never thought of this idea wow I am definitely going to try it
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI’m glad we could help you with a new activity idea for learning, Maria!
Merla Barberie
says:Please direct me to someone who can give me a list of books and other printed material on teaching methods for reversals, auditory inability to recognize letter sounds and how to understand all the problems that are the basis of individuals having trouble learning to read and write–for helping children, teenagers and adults (My husband is auditorily dyslexic.) and with the names of schools for dyslexics and what they are like and stories about individuals who have been helped there and the teaching methods used….I received a Master’s degree in remedial reading some 50 years ago. I need to know what has been learned since I was in school so I can be knowledgable enough to volunteer my time to help when opportunities become available. I am reading what I can find on the Net. Thank you!
?
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceMerla,
Since you are looking for graduate-level resources, I suggest seeing if the International Dyslexia Association.
I’m sorry I’m not more help with this.
Elizabeth
says:Love this idea!! My son is a hands on type of learner and this would be perfect for him.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceGlad you like it, Elizabeth! It’s a great activity for students that like to learn by touching.
Jen
says:I like your ideas for variations on the salt tray! Scents, colors, colored backgrounds etc… such a great way to incorporate more senses!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceThank you, Jen!
Sam B
says:Love this idea!
Lynsey
says:Love this! So much more fun and engaging than paper and a pencil. The colour/scent ideas are fabulous!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI’m glad you like these, Lynsey! Writing in salt trays, especially colorful and aromatic ones, is definitely so much more fun than writing on paper.
Amber
says:I have been researching fun hands-on ways to spice up my son’s letter formation. This is perfect! I love all the recipes and it will definitely access all his senses!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI’m glad you like these ideas, Amber!
Melanie Lyons
says:This is amazing, I can’t wait to try this.
Carolina Stander
says:Oh wow! Thanks for this. My eldest son is now 6 and learning to read. Will definitely make him one of these trays!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Carolina! I hope your son has lots of fun with these.
Amy Foss
says:I’ve used salt trays with my son and in my kinder and 1st grade classrooms. The kids love them!!! Poor things, I never colored or scented my salt!! But I usually had a bright colored plastic plate or tray underneath.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceAmy,
I think the color or scent is just a nice change-up. I think the salt itself is what is so great, and using it with a brightly colored background is great too.
Crystal
says:Thanks for sharing ideas for color and scent- we will definitely try this during this month!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceGreat, Chrystal! I hope you have lots of fun with it.
Svetlana
says:Love this idea. I have a very hands on child and this will be very helpful.
Becca
says:Scented trays is such an excellent idea! I’ll definitely be trying this for the holidays. I love how you incorporate the different senses in learning.
Babette
says:i have a child with ADHD will he be able to learn from the program
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceBabette,
Yes, All About Reading and All About Spelling work wonderfully well with ADHD students!
All About Reading and All About Spelling are multisensory programs that approach learning through sight, sound, and touch, and are scripted for one-on-one instruction. They require just short lessons daily and are easy to do at home without special training or previous experience. The programs are mastery-based rather than grade-level based, so you can choose the levels that fit your student’s needs and customize the review and pace.
Please let me know if you need information about placement or have any questions.
Alinda long
says:I love this idea! We haven’t used a salt tray in a while. Never Thought to color it. We have colored rice also. Deff gon a try this with our sight words tomorrow.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI’m happy this gave you some ideas to try, Alinda!
Missy H
says:My kids love this and even as they get older, it’s a great way to practice spelling words in a way that’s not so mundane! Having lots of variety keeps things fun for sure.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceMissy,
Thank you for sharing that salt trays are motivating and helpful even for older students!
Cat
says:My son loved doing this! I made a mini version in a pencil box that makes it easy to store. Glad we get suggestions like this from AAS!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceOooo, I love the idea of a mini salt tray for quick use, Cat!
Kristin jones
says:What a neat idea to keep kids interested while helping them learn
Sharon
says:We loved using salt trays! So fun – tactile, visual and even sound with this method of teaching the writing and sounds of letters for phonics. Even the movement part of sensory is folded in – it’s a win for everyone! Colored sand makes it especially fun – changing it up now and then keeps it interesting.
Sarah Aldrich
says:I love that you have ideas for scented salt trays! I’ve never thought of that!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceGlad you like this, Sarah! I love the idea of holiday-scented trays.
Priscilla
says:Great and fun ideas to teach our little ones to love learning in a creative out of the box way.
Kate
says:My son loves this! We use colored sand from a craft store. It’s definitely the favorite way to practice letters
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI love the idea of using colored craft sand, Kate!
Brittney
says:This is a great way to get my son to do his letters!
katie
says:this is such a fun activity, we have also used rice instead of salt.
Jennifer Felton
says:My 5 year old uses a salt tray to practice writing her letters, all the older kids end up with their fingers in the salt too. This is great all the way around!
Lisa Wernich
says:An affordable replacement to pages upon pages and more fun too.
Toni King
says:Salt trays really helped my littles with their beginning letters to read and write. I let them both pick a color sand and it made learning fun and is especially good to take outside!
Renee
says:Looks like fun probably messy though lol.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceIt can be a bit messy, Renee, but that is why we recommend salt trays instead of sand trays. A wet cloth makes salt clean up easier than sand clean up!
Tiffaney M Grimes
says:I love salt trays. They may end up messy with my youngest but they are far more engaging to both of my girls than any pen and paper activity out there!