Ooo! I’m so excited! I just finished my first set of Fine Motor Task Boxes.
Fine Motor skills are focused on in every preschool classroom. Children need strong small muscles in fingers and eyes to do all kinds of work when they get to ‘big’ school.
While we all know fine motor skills are important, do you ever have a hard time knowing you have enough ways available for students to practice? This was my issue. I knew during play that most all of my centers have fine motor practice available. But, I also found that many of my children weren’t going out of their ‘favorite’ center. While I totally believe in free choice play, I also was noticing how some children weren’t ever using scissors at the art center, golf pencils at the writing center or play dough in the play dough center.
So, I got that un-easy teacher feeling that I think comes from being a play-based classroom – am I doing enough? Am I providing enough. Because truth is, when it comes to play-based learning, so much of that learning comes from what we provide for children to use in their play and small group times.
That is where the idea for Fine Motor Boxes came into play (oh, that and a trip to Michaels Craft store). Picture it… you’re walking down the organizational aisle at the craft store, feeling happy because you are surrounded by items that have the opportunity to make you feel like you have your life together. Then, BAM a brightly colored set of 16 boxes, tucked inside a larger clear box comes into view. You have to have it. Why? Because it’s rainbow colored and rainbow colored gives you the happy feels. Do you need it? Ugh, ummm… hold on – you can think of something…. ah-ha! Eureka! I got it – Fine Motor Boxes. Boom. Done and bought (yes I used a coupon).
After finding the *perfect* boxes for my fine motor tasks, I chose 16 different activities that help children build those little muscles. Here is what I put inside:
- Scissor Snipping
- Cutting Strips
- Cutting Lines
- Cutting Shapes
- Bead Work (pony beads)
- Hole Punching
- Tongs & Puff Balls
- Hole Poking
- Pattern Blocks
- Tracing
- Paths
- Pre-Writing
- Links (Learning Links)
- Play Dough
- Stick Mats (colored craft sticks)
- Build It (linking cubes)
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As you can probably tell from the pictures – this set of Fine Motor Boxes is Winter Themed. I also have made available a Holiday set and Valentine’s Day set! I plan on using these boxes during small group. I can pull out several different boxes at a time and have children work on them while I help!
Do these Fine Motor Task Boxes look like something that could help your students?
