• Plastic zip-top bags (note: freezer bags are thicker and are less likely to tear than sandwich bags)
• Colored hair gel
• Heavy duty tape
• Alphabet cards   

Preparation

Step 1: Place a small amount of colored hair gel inside a plastic zip-top bag. You may want to double bag and securely tape the bag shut.

Step 2:  Use your index finger to test the bag and see if you can “write” in the gel, and adjust the amount of gel if needed.

Activity

Step 1: Give your child several alphabet cards and the zip-top gel bag.

Step 2: First, show him how to use his fingertip (not his nail), to make marks and letters in the gel bag.

Step 3: Let him just explore the gel bag by making marks randomly.

Step 4: Place the alphabet card under the gel bag and encourage him to trace the letter or place the alphabet card beside the gel bag and talk him through the strokes to copy the letter. For example:

“Start at the top and make a line straight down. Go back to the top and give it a hat across. Look! You wrote the uppercase letter T.” 

Start with making vertical, horizontal and slanted lines.

See how many letters your child can make from memory.