Fun & Easy Fine Motor Activities…to beat toddler boredom!

On those days when you are stuck in the house, and the little ones are bored and not happy enough with their regular toys, why not make yourself a little ‘ boredom box ‘, to keep them intrigued and occupied? Little ones always seem happy and busy when they have something new, and even better when it involves not breaking the bank to buy new toys and them improving a skill with a Fine motor activity! Want to know more? Here are some of our favourite ideas, which are all super cheap and easy!….

COLANDER & PIPE CLEANERS: Something you can keep and reuse over and over, and you can get a pack of pipe cleaners for around £1, bonus! Toddlers and babies enjoy using their fine motor grip, to hold onto the pipe cleaners, encouraging the pipe cleaners into the holes in the colander. This may be tricky at first for younger children, but this is a fantastic way to enhance those fine motor skills, and keep them busy for a little while!

Pom Poms: Again, pom-poms can be purchased super cheaper, and able to continue using over and over again. You can use these to colour sort into little bowls/cups/play tea sets. Another idea could be to use the well-loved items pop-its and place the pom poms into each pop its hole. Add spoons and scoops to play, to encourage filling and emptying.

Scissors/Cutting Skills: Another way to encourage your little ones’ fine motor skills, is to use child-safe scissors, and allow them to learn to cut. You can do this using play-doh, paper, or even food such as spaghetti pasta! Cutting is such a tricky skill to learn, but children sure love giving it a go and working those muscles in their hands, its all fantastic practice!

Lolly Sticks: Something I never thought of using in the past, was Lolly Sticks. Another cost-effective buy, at low cost and able to use over and over again. A great fine motor activity which we love with these, are using masking tape to make different shapes and patterns, then get your little one to follow the shape with their lolly sticks, just like this photo….

Cereal Play: There is endless fun to be had with cereal, even as simple as pouring cereal into a tray/bowl with spoons and pots! However, here are some of my favourites which are fantastic at encouraging their fine motor skills and keeping them busy and concentrating :)

• Building towers with Weetabix, counting as we go!
• Using uncooked spaghetti pasta and cheerios, threading the cheerio hoops onto each bit of pasta
• spoons, pots, cups and cereal, filling and emptying skills

Pegs: That’s right, you heard me correctly, pegs! Pegs we use for hanging the washing out! Kids love these! They are a great way at encouraging their fine motor skills and using the muscles in their hands, so why not grab some paper plates, and let them practice pegging them onto the edge of them!

Hope these ideas are helpful, and that you’s enjoy trying them out! :)

Thanks, Lindsay xxx

Little Learners Northumberland

Check out our fine motor skill range in our shop!