Dive into this colorful preschool prewriting activity with our favorite bears. Why? Because learning the lines and curves of letters is just as noteworthy as writing the letters themselves! Practice moving left to right using our favorite counting bears that began with a simple play prompt, Can you bring the bears home? This colorful prewriting activity is a great place to start.
RELATED: Here is a list of hands-on preschool activities you can do at home.
Why is prewriting important?
During the prewriting stage, children experiment with forming lines and curves.
We notice writing come alive when young children write a story or note on paper, form lines as they draw, and even play games that track eyes left to right.
Encouraging young children to move their bodies and hands in zig zags, lines, and curves is important. These are lines that are similar to letter formations.
How to set up
I had everything ready the first time we set up Bring the Bears Home. The second time we played, my three-year-old wanted in on the setup. Take the lead, big guy!
- Tape down a sheet of white paper.
- Use dot markers or markers to make a colored path.
- Make a simple home on another side of the path. I used wooden blocks.
- Place plastic counting bears to the left of the path.
RELATED: Curious about the stages of writing? I have a quick guide explaining the stages of writing.
How to play this colorful preschool prewriting activity
First, my preschooler created the bear’s path using his dot markers.
Next, he brought the bears home, following the sequence of colors he had created. If I were doing this with my older preschoolers, I would have focused on creating a pattern.
It is important to gauge what your children are ready for. I knew that my three-year-old could practice holding the marker steady and placing one dot at a time on the paper roll, so I allowed him to take the lead.
RELATED: I like to call simple activities such as a Breakfast Invitation.
Supplies
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Washable Markers
Share these markers with your kids, or keep them for yourself. I am not one to judge; I like my own pack too.
White Paper Roll
This paper is a staple in our home. Place it on the table or a verticle surface. So many uses!
Plastic Counting Bears
Whoop! Whoop! Add this to the list of the top five as well. Again, I use these bears both in the classroom and at home. Sort them by color, separate them by size, or integrate them into imaginary play. WE LOVE THESE BEARS!
What’s happening behind the scenes?
We can expose our preschoolers to concepts they will continue to hear come school age and take the time to revisit this many times before Kindergarten.
Take the time to think about where your child is and not feel the need to rush skills. Slow and steady, one step at a time.
- Hand-eye coordination
- Fine motor grip – Check out these 50+ Fine Motor Activities.
- Left to right progression
- Imaginary play
- Steady hand
- Color recognition
- Prewriting with lines
Now, you are ready to get started prewriting! Looking for more ways to play with color? Head to our list of 35+ Brilliant Color Activities.
Craving a calmer morning?
Breakfast Invitations are simple learning games to begin the day with play.
FAQ
Fine motor skills activities use movement to develop the small hand muscles in children. It’s essential to use activities for fine motor skills in early learners to prepare their hands for fiddly things. For example, writing, zipping, shoe tying, and more.
Creative learning ideas for preschoolers involve movement, the senses, and play. Preschoolers enjoy exploring their environments and repeating play patterns. Hands-on preschool activities include sensory play, letter/sound recognition, counting, art, outdoor exploring, simple science experiments, and more! I have everything organized in this list of 101 preschool learning activities.
Use stickers that have a variety of sizes and shapes. A pro tip is to peel the backing off so the stickers are easily taken off. My favorite stickers are in this post for toys under $25.
A Colorful Preschool Prewriting Activity
Materials
- counting bears
- markers
- white paper roll
Instructions
- Tape down a sheet of white paper.
- Use dot markers or markers to make a colored path.
- Make a simple home on another side of the path. I used wooden blocks.
- Place plastic counting bears to the left of the path.
- Invite your preschooler to match the colorful bears to the matching dot.
