Number Writing Fun

Number writing practice can become extremely boring for kindergarteners, especially when a pencil and paper are the only materials involved.  Last week we made it a little more interesting by utilizing a few non-traditional tools.

We set up four rotating stations so that everyone had a chance to practice writing their numbers in four different ways.

Station #1
Shaving Cream
The kids practiced writing numbers with their finger in the shaving cream on the table.  Their favorite part was "erasing" as it allowed them to get thier hands messier and messier.  Our room sure did smell nice and clean for the afternoon however.

Station #2
Paint Bags
Zip Lock bags filled with finger paint allowed students to write on top of the bag and see each stroke clearly until they mixed the paint up again.  They used a q-tip as a writing instrument which provided a sturdier point to press down on.

Station #3
Salt Trays
Four trays, with an even layer of salt in each, were placed on the table for each student.  They practiced writing each number in the salt with their finger.  Practicing the correct strokes is extremely important in each of these activities.

Station #4
Dry Erase Boards
While this station is a bit more traditional, the kids loved to write and then erase the boards so it certainly kept their interest.

We have worked our way up to the 20's - everyone seems to really love numbers!