If you love the idea of Montessori sandpaper letters but would rather not buy them, these puffy paint letter cards are a great homemade stand-in. Your child traces the bumpy letters with a finger to build letter memory.
Want to skip the DIY? You can find ready-made Montessori sandpaper letters on Amazon if you would rather just buy a set. They are lovely, but the homemade version below works just as well and costs almost nothing to put together.
It seems like there is a huge Montessori movement right now and honestly, it’s for a good reason. Plenty of Montessori materials and ideas are extremely helpful for young children. A very popular material is a set of sandpaper Montessori letters. Sandpaper letters are great because they give a tactile experience to learning the letters.
My only problem with Montessori letters is the expense. They are awesome and I wish I had $35 to spend just on sandpaper letters, but I don’t. So, naturally, I looked around for an alternative because learning the letters is hugely important to a child’s success in school. I found a great idea to make letters with puffy paint.
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This idea is appealing because the recipe for puffy paint only includes flour, salt, water, and food coloring. Woohoo! You can’t get cheaper than that. Check out the puffy paint letter tutorial from Train Up a Child Learn as We Go for more specific instructions.
The only difference here from the other blog post is this simple printable template for puffy paint letter cards. This template will help so you don’t have to freehand the letters and will help the letters be more uniform. This should hopefully help your toddlers learn consistent lettering.
Just print the template on cardstock and then squeeze the paint over the letters until they were completely covered. Now the letters will be all the same size and formed perfectly straight.
If your child is ready you can make the vowels a different color. This might be a good time to teach them the concept of vowels. The vowels are a different color in the tutorial as well.
Once the puffy paint letters were all dry, cut out the squares and they were ready to use. This was a very simple process to get an alternative for sandpaper Montessori letters. They really do help with learning the letters.
These puffy paint letter cards have held up very well to frequent use. Check for a post coming up for more ways to practice letter formation.
We have plenty more letter activities where this came from. Browse them on our how to teach letters page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which letters should my toddler learn first?
Start with the letters in your child’s own name. They are the most meaningful, so they tend to stick first.
What age should I start teaching my toddler letters?
Around age 3 is typical, but there is a wide range of normal. Some kids show interest earlier, and plenty learn their letters closer to 4. Please don’t pressure your little one before they are ready.
Should I teach uppercase or lowercase letters first?
Start with uppercase. Capital letters are easier to tell apart, so they are less confusing for toddlers. Add lowercase once the uppercase letters feel familiar.