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Kids learn through play, exploring and actively engaging in their environment.
Evidence suggests that specific toys and activities build hand strength, develop fine motor skills, and hand-eye coordination. These skills are important for handwriting, keyboarding, and other school-related tasks.
Kids won’t realize they are learning valuable skills with these fun activities.
GENERAL MANIPULATIVES to BUILD FINE MOTOR SKILLS:
- Lego Blocks
- Wooden Blocks
- Tinker Toys
- Lincoln Logs
- Bristle Blocks
- Marble Tower
- Puzzles – great for any age!
- Magnetic Building Toys – triangles and squares
- Magnetic Playset or Book
- Magnetic Maze Board
- Dressing and Undressing Dolls or Stuffed Animals
- Paper Dolls (and Magnetic Dress up Dolls)
- Video Games
- Eye Droppers – transfer liquid from one container to another
- Scissor Skills Practice Books or Activity Sheets
- Scoop Tongs/Scissors – for picking up/sorting objects
- Tweezers
- Lacing Boards – “sew” a cord through holes
- Lacing Beads – large beads to thread shoelaces through
- Peel and Place Stickers
- Beads – stringing any type of bead onto a string
- Finger Puppets
- Playdough, Magic Dough, or Clay
- Finger Painting (best to use Glossy Finger Paint Paper for this). Use pudding for safer, edible finger paint!
- Fine Motor Skills Books & Boards – shoelaces, zippers, buttons, buckles, snaps, tying
- Weaving – Fabric, Elastic Bands, Thread
- Crochet
- Hand Sewing (just threading the needle is a skill!) Caution – sharp needle – supervision recommended.
MATH MANIPULATIVES
- Counting Cubes
- Lego Blocks (good for teaching fractions)
- Magnetic Numbers – get a set that comes with a storage bin
ALPHABET MANIPULATIVES
- Magnetic Letters – get a set with a storage bin to keep them sorted
- Alphabet Beads
WRITING PRACTICE
Tracing Trays – wooden grooves use a pencil shaped tool to practice forming the letters
Add Rice, Sugar, or Sand (Flour might get messy!) to a cookie tray – practice writing letters, words, and numbers.
Allow Your Child to Use Colored Pens or Markers to Write! Variety makes a normal task more fun!
OTHER
- Teaching Time Clock
- Hammer Nails into a Board – use a child-sized hammer & nails
- Screwdriver Board Set (pre-drill the holes to make it easier)
- Keys and Locks for Kids
Which is your child’s favorite? Please share in the comments.
Posted in Faith Family Fun Blog
