This list of summer handwriting practice ideas is an older blog post that we thought needed some light of day again, especially with the summer months upon us! If you have a kiddo that has been working on handwriting goals ALL school year, only to go the whole summer without picking up a pencil (or crayon, marker, etc…), then summer handwriting needs fun Try some of these *actually fun* summer writing activities that keep kids moving toward visual motor, fine motor, and sensory motor handwriting goals. These are great ideas to add to your summer occupational therapy activities.
Summer handwriting practice
Practicing letter and number formation can become dull. There are creative ways to work on handwriting, for certain. I’ve shared a ton of fun handwriting activities that can make practicing writing tasks a little more fun.
But, sometimes it can be hard to carry the skills learned in individual activities over to letters, journals, and homework lists. Your child/student/client might be able to form all of the lower case letters in the morning, but then turn in a sentence that is totally illegible that afternoon.
Summer Handwriting Activities
Natural handwriting tasks are those happen during real writing tasks: writing an address on an envelope which holds a letter to a friend, writing out a birthday wish list, or jotting down a quick to-do list.
They are authentic writing tasks. What makes these natural writing experiences legible is carrying over skill that have been practiced in isolation.
The summer months is the perfect time to practice handwriting skills. But, most kids are not going to want to spend their carefree summer with a pencil and paper, much to parents with best-intentions.
These handwriting ideas are ways to practice written work in natural and care-free ways, making them perfect for summer writing.
Try these natural handwriting experiences with your kids this summer:
- Write a note to a friend. Drop it off in a mailbox.
- Send a postcard while on vacation.
- Make a weekly Summer-Fun to-do list.
- Start sending letters to a pen-pal.
- Form letters in a slime writing tray
- Write a simple journal- Try using just one sentence to describe each day.
- Write a vacation packing list.
- Look at the clouds. Write a letter for shapes that you see.
- Make cookie cutter letters.
- Make a scavenger hunt. Write out the clues.
- Write out the weekly grocery list.
- Make play dough letters
- Take handwriting on the go with a portable A-Z list.
- Write out a checklist of back-to-school supplies.
- Write out family member’s names in chalk on the sidewalk or driveway.
- Create a sensory writing tray
- Send a letter to a relative.
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Write a collaborative story- Start a collaborative story where you and your child take turns adding a sentence or a paragraph to the story.
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Write a thank you note to thank someone for something special.
- Write a letter to a Disney characters.
- Write a story. Add new parts each day.
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Play handwriting games: Play writing-based games like Yahtzee, “Story Dice” or “Write Your Own Adventure” where your child rolls dice with images or chooses story elements to incorporate into their writing.
- Create a heart-to-heart back and forth journal with a parent.
- Write a play.
- Write about an interest.
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Write a messy play recipe-Kids can write their own recipes for messy creations like homemade slime, goop, or even mud pies. They can experiment in the kitchen or the yard, write down the ingredients and steps, and even create their own messy cookbook.
- Find more authentic handwriting activities here.
- Use the Letters Fine Motor Kit
You’ll also be interested in our new Summer Occupational Therapy Activities Packet. It’s a collection of 14 items that guide summer programming at home, at school, and in therapy sessions. The summer activities bundle covers handwriting, visual perceptual skills and visual motor skills, fine motor skills, gross motor skills, regulation, and more.
You’ll find ideas to use in virtual therapy sessions and to send home as home activities that build skills and power development with a fun, summer theme. Kids will love the Summer Spot It! game, the puzzles, handouts, and movement activities. Therapists will love the teletherapy slide deck and the easy, ready-to-go activities to slot into OT sessions. The packet is only $10.00 and can be used over and over again for every student/client!
Grab the Spring Occupational Therapy Activities Packet HERE.
More handwriting ideas you will love:
Want to take summer play to the next level? Be sure to grab your copy of the Summer OT Activities Bundle!
