Kids love to write, doodle, and draw, so parents need to keep the proper supplies at their little ones’ fingertips. Mini-Writing Centers are small, compact writing stations that can be moved from room to room. They’re great for a child to use in her bedroom during a rest time or used in the kitchen to occupy children during meal-prep time. Take a Mini-Writing Center to the living room during a playdate and then to the dining room to use through homework. No matter the location, Mini-Writing Centers will keep your children writing happy.
Here are the top ten things that every Mini-Writing Center must have:
- Plastic Holder: Found at most dollar or discount stores, this is a simple container with a handle. Dividers help keep supplies better organized, so hunt for one with compartments.
- Paper: About 10 sheets of blank paper and 10 sheets of regular-sized lined paper will be all kids need for composing letters or drawing pictures.
- Envelopes: Include 3 to 5 business-sized and standard-sized envelopes so that writing and sending letters is a frequent activity.
- Index Cards: A few large and small index cards must be included. Index cards are great for sending little messages, making flashcards, writing a few new words, or drawing a tiny picture.
- Markers: A working set of markers always invites little hands to write and draw. Washable markers may keep your mind at ease for bedroom Mini-Writing Centers, but anything will do.
- Pencils and Erasers: It’s wise to include a few sharpened pencils. Children will receive these when they hit school, so we want them to be comfortable using standard-sized pencils!
- Crayons: A new box of crayons is sure to get hands moving and creative minds spinning. No need for the big box — a smaller box of 8, 12, or 24 crayons will do the job and not overwhelm the Mini-Writing Center.
- Letter Charts: These are just charts with the letters of the alphabet and a corresponding picture that begins with that letter. Including a letter chart is a necessity for emerging readers, as they’ll be able to refer to them when sounding out words and writing letters.
- Family Name Sheet: Names are usually the first words that children learn to read and write, and they’ll certainly need a family name sheet for letter writing. List each family member’s name next to his or her photo, and you have a family name sheet. Be sure to include pets and grandparents!
- Stickers: Every little writer wants to embellish a letter or an envelope with a few stickers, so include a sheet or two of interesting stickers or decals.
It’s sometimes hard to keep track of writing and drawing supplies. However, it’s much more important than you might think to have all the necessary writing supplies close at hand. Mini-Writing Centers help keep supplies organized so that children can flex their writing and drawing muscles whenever — or wherever — they want!
