# Peppermint Writing Tray
> Shake salt with a drop of gel food color and peppermint extract to make a pink, Christmas-scented writing tray. Kids copy sight words into it with candy canes or pipe cleaner candy canes, then brush it smooth for the next word.
- URL: https://www.funlittles.com/sensory-activities-kids-peppermint-writing-tray/
- Ages: 4–6 yrs · Difficulty: easy · Mess: medium
- Time: prep 15 min, activity 20 min
- Works for: one-on-one, small group, whole class · one batch serves about 1 kids
- Skills: sight-words, handwriting, fine-motor, sensory-exploration
- Cautions: food-dye, ingestion-risk

## Materials (one batch)
- 2 cup Salt
- 1 tbsp Peppermint extract
- 2 drop Gel food color
- 1 piece Large plastic baggie (household)
- 1 piece Bowl (optional) (household)
- 1 piece Foil pan or clear tray with a lip (household)
- Pipe cleaner candy canes
- Candy canes (optional)
- 1 piece Pastry brush
- 1 piece Small paintbrush (optional) (household)
- Small sheets of paper and a marker (household)

## Substitutions
- Instead of gel food color: Liquid food color (Gives a much cleaner look, without the textured specks of gel color.)
- Instead of candy canes: Pipe cleaner candy canes (Both work as writing tools. Pipe cleaners avoid putting candy near kids who mouth things.)

## Safety
- Salt stings eyes and cuts. Remind kids to keep salty hands away from their faces, and wash hands after play.
- Not a snack: the scented salt is not for eating. Supervise so kids don't taste it.
- Adult handles the peppermint extract. It is concentrated, so add it to the salt yourself and keep the bottle out of reach.
- Real candy canes can break into small, hard pieces. Supervise closely, and use the pipe cleaner candy canes for kids who still mouth things.
- Gel food color can stain hands and surfaces before it is fully mixed into the salt.

## Before you start
- Write a few sight words on small sheets of paper.

## Steps
1. Adult: put 2 cups of salt into a large plastic baggie.
2. Adult: add 2 drops of gel food color and peppermint extract to taste. We used 1 tbsp.
3. Seal the baggie and shake it really well to mix in the color.
4. Dump the scented salt into a bowl and mix it with your hands until the color is even.
5. Spread the salt in a foil pan or clear tray with a lip and explore it.
6. Add candy canes, pipe cleaner candy canes and brushes to the tray.
7. Set up a sight word card and copy the word into the salt.
8. Write with a candy cane or pipe cleaner candy cane.
9. Smooth the salt with the pastry brush, then try the next word.

## Tips
- I purposefully used a gel color so the remnants of the food color add to the nice texture of the peppermint salt. If you prefer a much cleaner look, go with liquid food color.
- The children took this one step ahead and mixed the salt by hand in a bowl. It was a wonderful addition. Once the peppermint permeated, they screamed 'Smells like Christmas!'
- Let the kids have their time exploring the salt first, then add the props to make it a writing tray.
- Depending on their preference, some kids adore using the real candy canes and some have fun holding the pipe cleaner ones. Both are a fun way to introduce sensory writing.
- Use a foil pan or a tray with a lip to keep all the salt inside.

## The original post by TurkeyMom (2014)

It has been a while since the children and I had some fun time with sensory activities. We used to be really big on [**sensory activities for kids**](https://www.funlittles.com/category/messy-play-2/) simply because my children enjoyed getting their hands in all kinds of sensory bins and exploring. They still love them. Since my oldest is 6 and younger is 4 years here we are adding a learning twist in their usual sensory play. We did a similar sensory activity for kids using shaving cream and paint. {Check our [**rainbow writing**](https://www.funlittles.com/sensory-activities-for-kids-rainbow-writing/) here} *Materials*

- **[Peppermint Extract](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004166T04/?tag=blmemo-20)**
- **[Salt](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0019N87XE/?tag=blmemo-20)**
- **[AmeriColor Food Color](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0029YDR82/?tag=blmemo-20)**
- **[Pipe Cleaner Candy Canes](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007OXMQE4/?tag=blmemo-20)**
- **[Candy Canes](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001LNL0MC/?tag=blmemo-20)**
- **[Pastry Brush](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BQLRZU/?tag=blmemo-20)**
- **Foil Pan/Clear Tray**

**Scented Peppermint Writing Tray Base**  In a large plastic baggie add 2 cups of salt, 2 drops of food color and peppermint extract. The amount of peppermint extract depends on your preference. My kids love the scent and we ended up adding 1 TBSP of extract. I adore the Americolor gel food color (link in the materials section) and always use that brand. I purposefully used a gel color so that the remnants of the food color can add to the nice texture of the peppermint salt. If you prefer a much cleaner look, go with liquid food color. After the extract and the food color is added, shake the baggie really well to mix the color.  The children took this one step ahead and dumped all the scented salt into a bowl and used their hands to evenly mix the salt. This step was a wonderful addition to this easy writing activity. Once the peppermint permeated the kids on cue screamed " Smells like Christmas, smells like Christmas" ... I think so too. You can change the colors ( think red, green and gold) and make a visually appealing Christmas sensory activity. { All our [**Christmas activities**](https://www.funlittles.com/category/holidays/christmas-holidays/) here}  Once the kids had their time exploring the salt, I added a few more props to make it more of a writing tray. Doesn't mean we can't make it fun! I there in candy cane pipe cleaners and real candy canes { My children think they are too spicy. Yes!!!} Along with the writing props I added a couple of brushes to smooth the tray between writing sessions. Now take a look at this one. Isn't this a fantastic Christmas sensory activity which doubles as a wonderful sensory writing activity. { All our playful [**writing activities**](https://www.funlittles.com/tag/writing/) here}  I wrote down a few sight words on small sheet of paper and my older one had fun practicing writing them.  Between words, she would use the pastry brush to smooth the peppermint writing tray and get ready for the next one.  Depending on the kids' preference some would adore using the real candy canes or some would have fun holding on to the pipe cleaner candy canes. Either way both are a fun way to introduce some sensory writing.
 To keep all the salt inside tray using a foil pan or a y tray with a lip.

More **writing activities** here

Thanks for reading