Home Made Fine Motor Activity

Here's an easy fine motor activity you can make at home.  All you need is a clear, plastic jar and cotton balls.  Have the kids use tongs to pick up the cotton balls and put them into the container.  To increase the difficulty of the task, leave the lid on and have them put the balls through the pour hole.  Once the jar is filled, they have made a cute snowman.

Fun obstacle course to challenge ballance

A fun way to transition between activities is by doing an obstacle course.  When going from table top work to circle time, or vice versa, have the kids go via obstacle course.  It not only entertains them, it can build their gross motor skills while allowing them the movement time they need during their school day to be able to learn most effectively.  Studies show that children need time between sedentary learning times for gross motor to allow them to concentrate and to learn better.  Try these ideas, or make your own obstacle courses.  Ideas can be: crawling through a tunnel, hopping over an object, stepping up and down a stool, scooter boards and catching and throwing balls. 

Have the kids jump on the bubble wrap to make cool popping noises.

Make Apple sauce

Make your own applesauce.  Have your kids peel the apples first then grate the apples to make applesauce.  Kids love to help, and it is a great upper extremity coordination activity.  Helping make food is a great task for children of all ages. Little children can help stir and pour.  Older children should read the recipes and attempt to follow it.  Kids love to eat what they make, so it is a great way to help picky children expand their food repertoire.

Rainy Day Obstacle Course

Weather getting cold where you are?  Try making an obstacle course out of things you have around the house.  Put masking tape on the floor with arrows so multiple kids can do the course without too much mayhem.  Take some ideas from the classroom above, build a tunnel with a sheet to crawl through, cut out cardboard hands and feet to get kids crawling...  give them a demonstration and talk them through it if they need help with motor planning, then fade your prompts as they are successful!  Great for kids with motor coordination troubles and sensory seekers!