Hello parents! Art and crafts are great activities for kids. They have their own benefits. But when we combine the fun of crafts with an element of education, that’s even better! Luckily, many STEAM activities can be combined with arts and crafts to improve learning.
Our today’s craft, called the Raised Salt Alphabet Craft, is based on similar lines, wherein we combine art and craft with science and a lot of fun! Your kids will undoubtedly enjoy their time doing this project, and you will be enthralled to see the amazement in their eyes as they see science at work right in front of their eyes!
What will kids learn from this raised salt alphabet craft?
Kids are great learners. They learn from anything that comes their way. In addition to offering a lot of fun and engagement, this alphabet craft covers two important STEAM concepts.
1. Salt is hygroscopic in nature.
This activity teaches kids that salt has the ability to absorb water in liquid form. You can also add that it can even absorb water vapor present in the air. Due to its hygroscopic nature, kids can see salt absorbing colored water without letting it spread on the paper.
2. Mixing two primary colors results in a secondary color.
As kids prepare their watercolors for this craft, you can teach them colors. How combining two primary colors can give you secondary colors. For example, red + yellow = orange, and yellow + blue = green.
Besides teaching these amazing concepts, this craft is one of the best activities to boost fine motor skills. Your kids will get tons of opportunities to practice their skills as they use glue to trace letters meticulously and sprinkle salt on the paper. After all, these things are not as easy for the kids as they are for us adults!
Raised salt alphabet craft: Combining learning with fun
Things you’ll need:
- Ruler
- Pencil
- Table salt
- Liquid glue
- Watercolors
- Black marker
- Dropper/paintbrush
- White watercolor paper
Procedure:
Alphabet craft with salt is a wonderful activity, but kids will need the help and supervision of an adult. Before kids can actually begin the salt fun, as a parent or teacher, you will have to do the first part of the craft.
Grab a white sheet of watercolor paper, a pencil, and a ruler to begin with.
Make straight lines on the paper, as shown in the images above. These lines are similar to the ones you see on handwriting books or sheets, wherein kids practice writing letters.
Now, use a pencil to write all the uppercase letters of the alphabet. Highlight these letters with a black pen or a marker for better visibility.
If only one child is waiting to do this project, hand over this sheet to them. But if you have multiple kids, I would suggest you make multiple photocopies of this page so each child can have a separate sheet to work on.
Now, it’s time to prepare colors for the project. Mix individual watercolors in small quantities of water in cups or bowls. Keep them ready, along with a dropper or paintbrush.
Spread a large sheet on the table to protect it from messing up. Place the prepared alphabet sheet on it before jumping to the next step.
Invite the kids to trace the letters by squeezing glue out of a bottle. Tell them to try to put consistent pressure on the bottle so that the glue comes out evenly and covers the letter all over.
Once the gluing is done, spread a good amount of salt on the glued letter and let it set for a few seconds.
As the alphabet consists of 26 letters, kids can glue 3–4 letters at a time, or as many as they are comfortable doing, and apply salt to them.
After waiting for a few seconds, shake off the excess salt in a separate container, like a baking tin or a large bowl. You will see how nicely the salt covers the letters of the alphabet.
After the kids are done prepping the letters with salt, they can move on to coloring.
Before they actually start coloring on the sheet, it is better for kids to try their hands at raised salt painting on a rough sheet.
Make a simple straight line using glue and salt, and test coloring on it. You will notice that a drop of color spreads on the salt. So, try not to add too many drops of color in one place.
Fill the dropper with color and squeeze it on the letter, one drop at a time. Observe how the salt absorbs colored water and does not let it spread on the paper.
Color the rest of the letters in a color combination of your choice. You can paint them in a single color or a mix of two or three colors.
Kids can take their time to color all the letters of the alphabet. Finally, they will have an eye-catching and colorful project to showcase their art and craft skills!
That is all!
Alphabet craft is a must-do activity for young learners. Whether you’re an educator at school or a parent wishing to spend quality time with your kids at home, this activity will never fail you. You can even customize it, using just a few letters instead of the entire bunch, based on your child’s abilities. The kids will learn the letters, practice their tracing and gluing skills, and gather age-appropriate scientific knowledge. Isn’t that a great deal? So, wear your crafting hats and enjoy making this alphabet craft with your kids this weekend!
I am Priyanka Sonkushre, a writer and blogger. I am the person behind “One Loving Mama,” a mom blog. Equipped with a Bachelor’s degree along with an MBA, my healthcare background helps me deeply understand learning difficulties. I know how challenging it can be for parents to find the right resources to help their children excel in life. So, here I am to blend my healthcare expertise with my parenting experience to create valuable and helpful resources for parents and teachers supporting children with learning differences. If you wish, you can follow me on Facebook and LinkedIn.