Our preschool special education classrooms have chosen to focus on fine motor development for our data team this year. Let's just say, we may have gone a bit crazy with the amount of ideas we have found and are currently utilizing in our classrooms! We actually made up several fine motor activities boxes with supplies to use!
Here are a few of my favorite ideas to increase fine motor skills. While most of the activities we have been using were found on Pinterest, we've come up with a few of our own to add to the mix. These really aren't original, but perhaps they will be good reminders of activities to try to increase those fine motor skills!
Finger Painting on Mirrors! The Dollar Store acrylic mirrors I found are perfect for this and are just the right size. Not only are the children working on fine motor skills, by "scribbling" and "writing" in the fingerpaint, but they are also noticing themselves in the mirror. We have a chance to talk about facial features, feelings, count eyes, nose etc.
Sponge on a Clothespin Painting! This is still a bit of a challenge for my children, so we've only explored this once and are waiting a bit until they feel more capable of managing the clothespins. Basically, I cut up a sponge into small squares, put these on a tray with a clothespin and encouraged the children to open the clothespin, clip a sponge square, dip it into paint and dab it on the paper! We ended up making "snowstorms" with white paint on blue or black paper.
Pom Pom Pushing! This is an idea I found on Pinterest. We found the perfect baskets to put pom poms through. We simply turn the basket upside down, put pom poms halfway through the holes and encourage the child to push each pom pom through a hole using his/her pointer finger. This has become a perfect activity for a little guy who is a bit rigid in his thinking. This gives him a clearly defined beginning and end. He knows, the game is done when he can't see anymore pom poms! He loves this so much now, we're able to pull all the pom poms out from under the basket when he is done and he uses a pincer grasp to retrieve each pom pom and place it back through the hole. (2 skills for the price of one, I say!)
And, of course, good old fashioned playdough with gems hidden inside! While most children would engage in enough pretend play to practice these types of skills naturally in the classroom and at home, some children just don't naturally gravitate towards activities that increase fine motor skills. These activities have been great ways to introduce those children to these skills!
*NOTE: I will upload photos of each activity as soon as I can slow the kids down long enough to aim the camera in the direction of the activity :)
Here are a few of my favorite ideas to increase fine motor skills. While most of the activities we have been using were found on Pinterest, we've come up with a few of our own to add to the mix. These really aren't original, but perhaps they will be good reminders of activities to try to increase those fine motor skills!
Finger Painting on Mirrors! The Dollar Store acrylic mirrors I found are perfect for this and are just the right size. Not only are the children working on fine motor skills, by "scribbling" and "writing" in the fingerpaint, but they are also noticing themselves in the mirror. We have a chance to talk about facial features, feelings, count eyes, nose etc.
Sponge on a Clothespin Painting! This is still a bit of a challenge for my children, so we've only explored this once and are waiting a bit until they feel more capable of managing the clothespins. Basically, I cut up a sponge into small squares, put these on a tray with a clothespin and encouraged the children to open the clothespin, clip a sponge square, dip it into paint and dab it on the paper! We ended up making "snowstorms" with white paint on blue or black paper.
Pom Pom Pushing! This is an idea I found on Pinterest. We found the perfect baskets to put pom poms through. We simply turn the basket upside down, put pom poms halfway through the holes and encourage the child to push each pom pom through a hole using his/her pointer finger. This has become a perfect activity for a little guy who is a bit rigid in his thinking. This gives him a clearly defined beginning and end. He knows, the game is done when he can't see anymore pom poms! He loves this so much now, we're able to pull all the pom poms out from under the basket when he is done and he uses a pincer grasp to retrieve each pom pom and place it back through the hole. (2 skills for the price of one, I say!)
And, of course, good old fashioned playdough with gems hidden inside! While most children would engage in enough pretend play to practice these types of skills naturally in the classroom and at home, some children just don't naturally gravitate towards activities that increase fine motor skills. These activities have been great ways to introduce those children to these skills!
*NOTE: I will upload photos of each activity as soon as I can slow the kids down long enough to aim the camera in the direction of the activity :)
Great ideas. I think I'll use them coming up soon! Thanks.
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