<a href=\"/content/nemours/us/en.html\">91´óÉñ Children's Health</a> | <a href=\"https://kidshealth.org/\">91´óÉñ KidsHealth</a></p>\r\n"}} id=text-5414090edb class=cmp-text>
Making Marks
Beginning Writing | 12 to 17 Months</h6>\r\n<h6> </h6>\r\n"}} id=text-f70c29e281 class=cmp-text>
Beginning Writing | 12 to 17 Months
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<b>Prep: 10 Minutes | Activity Time: 5–7 Minutes</b></p>\r\n<p>Your child at this stage of beginning writing may be starting to favor the use of one hand, although you won’t be able to know true right- or left-handedness until later. When offered markers or crayons, your toddler can begin to scribble or make marks. These marks and scribbles will eventually turn into letters. </p>\r\n"}} id=text-435377f5b7 class=cmp-text>
Prep:Ìý10 Minutes | Activity Time: 5–7 Minutes
Your child at this stage of beginning writing may be starting to favor the use of one hand, although you won’t be able to know true right- or left-handedness until later. When offered markers or crayons, your toddler can begin to scribble or make marks. These marks and scribbles will eventually turn into letters. 
\r\n<li>Large washable markers </li>\r\n<li>Large crayons </li>\r\n<li>Tape </li>\r\n<li>Newspaper </li>\r\n<li>Large sheet of paper (e.g., the back of a piece of wrapping paper) </li>\r\n</ul>\r\n"}} id=text-9d370a69e4 class=cmp-text>
- Large washable markersÌý
- Large crayonsÌý
- TapeÌý
- NewspaperÌý
- Large sheet of paper (e.g., the back of a piece of wrapping paper)Ìý
<b>Step 1:</b> Create a writing space for your toddler. Writing can get messy, so first create a safe, enjoyable space for writing. This might be as simple as taping down a layer of newspaper to protect the surface from the writing tool. </p>\r\n<p><b>Step 2: </b>Tape a piece of plain paper on the newspaper and give your child a safe, non-toxic writing tool such as a large crayon, large washable marker or a large piece of chalk. <br>\r\n</p>\r\n<p><b>Step 3:</b> Show your toddler how you can move the writing tool back and forth to make a mark on the paper. Let your child choose a writing tool and play with making marks. Closely supervise your toddler during these early explorations with writing tools.  </p>\r\n"}} id=text-605f82fb67 class=cmp-text>
Step 1: Create a writing space for your toddler. Writing can get messy, so first create a safe, enjoyable space for writing. This might be as simple as taping down a layer of newspaper to protect the surface from the writing tool.Ìý
Step 2: Tape a piece of plain paper on the newspaper and give your child a safe, non-toxic writing tool such as a large crayon, large washable marker or a large piece of chalk.Ìý
Step 3: Show your toddler how you can move the writing tool back and forth to make a mark on the paper. Let your child choose a writing tool and play with making marks. Closely supervise your toddler during these early explorations with writing tools. Ìý