08/12/2026
Sidewalk chalk isn't just summer fun, it's a pre-handwriting powerhouse. 🖍️✏️
Deanne, owner and occupational therapist at Creative Development, shows how a simple bag of chalk can double as a full sensory, pre-writing activity you can bring anywhere: a party, a parade, or right in your own driveway.
Why chalk works so well for pre-handwriting skills:
1. Grip development matters: Using thick chalk (or chalk holders, including fun character ones like Spider-Man!) is a great starting point. As kids progress, moving to smaller pieces of chalk, and even broken crayon pieces, naturally facilitates the mature pencil grasp kids need to hold a pen, hold utensils, paint, and write.
2. Write the whole name, not just letters: Writing a child's full name gives them something meaningful to trace and connect with, rather than isolated letters that may not click yet.
3. Working on the ground = a full sensory experience: When kids are down at ground level tracing and coloring, their whole body is engaged, giving them proprioceptive input through their joints and muscles while they work.
4. Build in choice and imagination: Letting kids choose colors, fill in shapes, or draw freely (not just trace) keeps it playful while still building skill.
The pre-writing shapes we're watching for: Horizontal lines, vertical lines, diagonal lines, circles, and triangles, the foundational pre-strokes kids need before kindergarten and preschool handwriting.
This is what OT looks like in real life: a driveway, a rainbow of chalk, and a child building the exact skills they'll need for school, all through play.
Save this for your next family activity, and share it with a parent, teacher, or caregiver who could use these tips before back-to-school season!
