Typically, all kindergartners will arrive on the first day of school knowing at least their first name. Some know how to spell it and a few can write it too. Planning different name-writing activities for kindergarten students to help them recognize, read, and write their names is essential during the first days and weeks of school.

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Name Writing Activities for Kindergarten

Integrating as many different skills into these activities as possible – from counting and sorting to building muscle memory and fine motor skills – is a great way to see where your students are and offer more practice if needed. These activities are a gentle way to start the school year and students will love them because they are meaningful (after all, our names are one of the first things we own), hands-on, and fun.

These activities are perfect for independent stations, centers, or small group time. Rotate through the name writing activities daily so students can try out every station. Teacher Tip: Provide each student with a laminated index card with their name written on it to serve as a model.

#1: Stamp It

Students will love this activity because it uses play dough! Have students use plastic letter stampers to form their name in play dough. Teach them how to use the palms of their hands (or a rolling pin, if you have one) to flatten the play dough before they begin stamping. You can find my favorite uppercase letter stamps and lowercase letter stamps on Amazon.

Provide a cookie sheet or placemat as a work area to clean up in a snap. This activity helps your students build fine motor strength as well.

#2: Build It

Set up a station with a collection of colored craft sticks, pipe cleaners, or wikki stix. Model how to use the sticks to form the letters in your name.  Show them how to make curvy letters like C and D.

To take this activity up a notch, you can show students how to lay out the letters in a crossword-style layout. For example: spell the name TOM horizontally. Then, use the T to spell the name vertically and build off the M to spell the name horizontally again.

#3: Stick It

Give students a sheet of card stock paper, either white or colored. Have them write their name in large letters, big enough to fill the page. If needed, you can write their names and have them trace over them. Next, show them how to use a glue stick to trace their name, one letter at a time. Finally, give them a strand of yarn (I like to use the fat, fluffy kind) to apply to the gluey letters.

As a bonus, this activity will help students practice using glue sticks properly. The finished product is a fun, name craft! You can hang them in your classroom or hallway to give students a sense of pride!

#4: Spell It. 

For this station, you will need a large bucket of letter blocks. Let your students search through the bucket for the letters in their names. Their challenge is to see how many times they can spell their name out with the blocks they have found. Once they cannot spell their name anymore, you can encourage them to help a friend look for the letters in their name.

#5: Count It

Using a ten frame is a great way for kids to learn the letters of their names while also working on number sense. Show students how to use the boxes of a ten frame to spell their names. Once they have their names written, have them point to each letter and count how many letters are in their names. Have them write that number in the margin of their ten frames.

Next, have them count the letters again, this time placing a plastic math cube or mini eraser on top of each letter as they count. This simple technique incorporates one-to-one correspondence.

#6: Make It Colorful

There are a couple of different ways to create rainbow names. Students can write their names using a different colored marker or crayon for each letter. Another way to do this is to have them write their name in one color, then trace around each letter, forming a bubble letter, with a different color. Then trace it again, a little bit bigger this time, with a different color. Show them how to trace closely to fit many colors into their rainbow name.

#7: String It

This activity requires plastic letter beads and pipe cleaners or string. Cut the pipe cleaners or string, if needed, into 6-12-inch strips. Put out a bowl of alphabet beads. First, students will search for the letters in their name. They can lay out the beads in front of them as they find them. Then they can string the beads, in the proper order, onto the cording or string to make necklaces or bracelets. You might need to help them tie the knots for their creations. This is awesome fine motor practice!

Additionally, students can use name writing mats in which they will build their name with magnetic letters, string their name together using alphabet beads, and build it using play dough.

#8: Roll It Out

This is another fun name writing activity for kindergarten using play dough! Teach students how to roll play dough into “snakes”. Show them how to make them long and skinny instead of short and fat. Model how to use the play dough “snakes” to form the letters in their names. Do this activity on a cookie sheet or placemat for easy cleanup.

#9: Dish It Up 

This is a super fun activity for students and incorporates sensory materials. Stock up on pasta noodles next time you see them on sale. Macaroni and penne noodles work particularly well for this activity. Show students how to use the noodles to spell their names, combining curves and straight lines to form the letters. You might also want to have orzo or dried beans for dotting the i's. You can even dye the pasta to make it colorful!

#10: Collage It

Collect magazines around your house or ask families to send in (appropriate) used magazines for this activity. Show students how to be letter detectives and search through magazines to find the letters in their names. Once they find a letter, they can cut it out and set it aside until they have all the letters. Once they have them all, they can glue them onto an index card or piece of card stock. This name writing activity exposes students to different forms of text and environmental print.

#11: Dot It

Provide students with a piece of construction paper. Have them write their name large on the paper. For longer names, you'll want to use extra large pieces of construction paper, cut in half length-wise. Then have them use a bingo dabber to trace each letter with dots. They can use a different color for each letter or each line. To learn more about using bingo dabbers in the classroom, check out this blog post!

#12: Piece It Together

Let students practice spelling their names by creating colorful mosaics. Create a name card for each student and laminate it. Have a supply of tiny items such as pom-poms, mini erasers, dried beans, etc., available. Students will spell their names out by laying the mosaic pieces on top of each letter on the laminated card with their name written on it. This activity is fun because students can build and dump their names in many different ways. They get to be creative and express themselves with this name-writing activity.

#13: Magnetize It

For this activity, you will need alphabet magnets. You can often buy them in large tubs such as these magnetic letters. Let students explore the container to find the letters in their names. Give them a cookie sheet to stick the magnets on to practice spelling their names. They can also stick the letters to a magnetic whiteboard.

14: Draw It

Grab a can of shaving cream and let your students get (just a little!) messy. I recommend using a tray to keep the shaving cream in one place! Squirt a dollop of shaving cream onto each student's tray. Then, allow them to spread the shaving cream out evenly on their tray. After, have them try to write their names in the shaving cream. They'll draw their name using their finger.

The more opportunities you give students to practice writing their names, the better! Use these ideas to change up your stations often to keep the activity fresh and allow students to try each station.

For fast finishers, you can have supplies for students to practice writing their names using small dry-erase boards and markers, chalkboards and chalk, or paper and markers, pencils, or crayons. If the weather is nice, head outside and practice name writing with sidewalk chalk. Kids love that!