Fine Motor Fun- Christmas Style!
Fine motor practice is great for kids of all ages but especially for little ones working on handwriting and scissors skills. We have put together some super fun holiday activities that strengthen fine motor skills but are most importantly fun!
Cheerio Tree
All you need is a paper cup, a few branches off your tree, scissors, and some Cheerios or pony beads. Flip the cup upside down. Using scissors, poke a few holes in the paper cup. Thread the branches through and set out some cheerios/beads. Challenge your child to add cheerio "ornaments" to the tree. Just an FYI: this activity can be quite challenging so may be best for kids about 4 and up, but of course you know your child best.
ABC Match
On a piece of cardboard, draw a candy cane and cut it out. Use a red marker or red painter's tape to make the candy cane stripes, then use a permanent marker to write all the letters of the alphabet around the edges of the candy cane. Next, give your child clothespins with the same letters written on them. Sometimes you can find these in the Target Dollar Spot or you can easily make your own. Let your child match the letters by clipping the clothespins right on top of the same letter on the candy cane. This not only works on fine motor skills but letter recognition too.
Christmas Tree Hole Punch by engaging_littles
This great idea was shared by @engaging_littles on her Instagram page. For this activity you will cut out Christmas trees from green construction paper. Write a number on each tree and have your child use a hand held hole punch to punch that same number of holes in the paper. Math and fine motor all in one!
Bow Balance
For this activity grab some leftover bows or cheap ones from the dollar store. Take pieces of painter's tape and tape it sticky side down between two countertops or chairs. Have your child see how many bows they can get to balance on the tape. This is a great fine motor and problem solving activity.
Q-Tip Candy Cane Painting by chasing50toes
This fun painting craft was shared by @chasing50toes on Instagram. Draw some simple candy canes on white construction paper. Then, have your child use a Q-tip dipped in red paint to make candy cane stripes!
DIY Cardboard Ornaments
This is such a simple and fun idea. Take some empty cardboard boxes you have lying around and cut out different holiday shapes such as a tree, snowman, etc. Cover the ornament with liquid glue and let your child pinch and sprinkle glitter on the ornaments. Pinching is a great fine motor skill. Once the ornaments are fully dry, you can attach a piece of string and hang them on your tree. Putting the ornaments inside a tray/container with sides will help contain the mess when sprinkling the glitter.
Let us know which activity is your favorite! Have fun learning and playing!
