Learning to identify and write your name is one of the most important skills to master before heading to school. Because if your child cannot identify their name when they head to the classroom, they are already behind the curve.
How will they find their desk or identify their pencil box? And let’s not forget that every piece of paper your child touches will need to have their name on it. I can tell you first hand from running a Kindergarten classroom, that there just isn’t enough time to go around and write every child’s name on every paper. We wouldn’t get any learning done!
So, this activity is for the parents out there trying to figure out how to teach that all important skill, name recognition. Let’s break it down:
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Materials
- White paper
- White crayon
- Watercolors
- Paint brush (often comes with the paint)
- Water cup
- Art smock (optional)
How To
This is a super simple activity to set up and it can keep your little occupied for quite a while if they are into painting!
- Grab your white crayon and write your child’s name on the paper in large letters. Please, Please, PLEASE do not write in all capital letters! It is such a hard habit to break once they go to school. Only the first letter should be capitalized!
- Next, fill the water cup with a bit of water and lay out the paint, brush and cup by the paper.
- Show your little how to dip the brush into the water, then into the paint, and onto the paper. Remind them to dip the brush back into the water each time they change colors, so it doesn’t make a muddled mess.
- Watch the magic happen!
As your child fills up the entire page with colors, be sure to point out their name as it magically appears and talk about it. What do you see? Is that your name? What letters are in it? Let’s see where else we can see your name in the house!
This is the perfect opening to explore your child’s name in other places. Maybe even lead into one of these other amazing name activities:
Learn That Name!
Identifying your name truly is one of the foundational skills. I would argue that it is more important that knowing the alphabet in those early stages. So, however you do it, practice name identification!
Thank you so much for reading, sweet friend! As always, you can find us on Pinterest and see what we are up to on Instagram.
Check out this super simple way to make name identification fun! It’s an activity that your kiddo will come back to over and over again!
