Rainbow Salt Tray Finger Drawing

A shallow tray or baking sheet with a rim

Table salt (about 1 cup)

Colorful paper or rainbow-striped paper to line the tray bottom

Optional: a small rake, comb, or stick for drawing

Place a sheet of colorful paper at the bottom of a shallow tray. Rainbow-striped paper works beautifully, but any bright paper will do.

Pour a thin, even layer of white salt over the paper. You want just enough to hide the colors — about a quarter inch deep.

Show your child how to drag one finger through the salt. The colored paper pops through wherever the salt is pushed aside.

Let your child draw freely — shapes, letters, swirly designs, their name, faces, anything.

To erase, gently shake the tray from side to side. The salt slides back into place and covers the drawing.

Draw and erase endlessly. There is no paper used up, no paint drying out, no materials running low.

Try drawing with different tools — a comb makes parallel lines, a stick makes thin precise marks, a finger makes thick soft lines.

This is a wonderful pre-writing activity. Children practice letter shapes in a low-pressure way because every attempt can be instantly erased.

The sensory experience of dragging fingers through salt is calming and regulating. Many children find this activity soothing.

Use colored salt for an extra visual pop — shake salt in a bag with a few drops of food coloring and let it dry.

Place the tray on a towel to catch any salt that escapes. Salt is easy to sweep but annoying if it gets everywhere.

Keep the salt tray assembled and ready to go. It is a perfect quiet time activity you can pull out in seconds.