If you’re looking for activities for fine motor skills, you’ll want to try this Fine Motor Skills Activity with Tongs. This simple activity keeps kids engaged and only requires a few things you probably already have at home.
I love it because I saw my daughter really focus as she moved the pom poms from a cup into the paint palette trays. It gave her a little challenge and was a fun way for us to talk about colors while she worked on her skills.
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More Activities for Fine Motor Skills
When you’re trying to boost fine motor skills, there’s a lot you can do besides tongs and pom poms. We’ve done Fine Motor Practice with Straws, which is a hit because kids get to use straws in new ways. Here are some other fun ideas:
- Sensory Alphabet Hunt
- 18 Fine Motor Activities for Preschoolers
- Counting With Beads and Pipe Cleaners
- Erasers to Promote Fine Motor Skills
- Fine Motor Practice with Scooping and Pouring
Supplies Needed for Fine Motor Skills Activity with Tongs
- Pom poms: Used for the main craft activity.
- Paint palette tray (or empty egg carton): Used to organize and sort the pom poms.
- Tongs: Used for picking up and transferring pom poms; ensure they are easy for your child to squeeze.
Norpro , 10
Eppingwin 90PCS Multicolor Pom Poms, 1.5 Inch Soft Pompoms forMltanccy 32 PCS Paint Tray Palette, White Plastic Paint Pallets,Learning Resources Helping Hands Fine Motor Tool Set Toy -
How to Create a Fine Motor Activity Using Tongs
- Set up the materials: Place a pile of colorful pom poms in a cup or bowl. Put a paint palette or egg carton next to it.
- Use tongs for picking: Give your child tongs to pick up a pom pom and place it in one of the tray sections.
- Practice color recognition: Ask for specific colors, like "Can you find a blue one?" This helps them learn colors while playing.
- Build fine motor skills: The act of using tongs to pick up and place items strengthens fine motor skills.
- Try variations: Use cotton balls instead of pom poms or swap the tray for something else you have at home to keep the activity fresh.
Benefits of This Activity
Using tongs builds hand strength, which is huge for things like writing, cutting, and buttoning clothes later on. Moving pom poms into small sections takes control and focus, so your child works on precision, concentration, and problem-solving.
Color sorting is great for learning basic colors, following directions, and practicing matching. It’s just a helpful, quick activity for busy days.
Tips for Fine Motor Skills With Tongs
Tip 1: If your child struggles, try larger pom poms or wider tongs.
Tip 2: Encourage your child, but don’t step in too soon, even if it’s tricky.
Tip 3: Make it a counting game by asking how many pom poms fit in each section.
Tip 4: To create your own activity, use the tongs with your choice of manipulatives (cotton balls would work well). If you don't have a sorting tray or paint palette, an empty egg carton will do the job.
FAQs For Fine Motor Skills Activity With Tongs
This activity is generally great for kids ages 2 to 6, but older kids who need extra practice with hand coordination can benefit too. For younger kids, make sure the pom poms aren’t too small, and be sure to supervise to avoid any choking risk.
Yes, you can! Cotton balls work almost exactly the same and are easy to find. Some people use small blocks, beads, or even pieces of paper crumpled up into balls. For tongs, look in your kitchen for salad tongs, chopsticks, or even tweezers.
This activity with tongs is a quick and easy way to help your child build skills for school and daily life. It doesn’t take long to set up, and you can switch up the items to keep it interesting.
Fine Motor Skills Activity with Tongs
Materials
- Pom poms variety of colors
- A small tray or container
- Kid-friendly tongs or tweezers
Instructions
- Spread the pom poms across the tray to create a colorful mix.
- Hand your child the tongs and encourage them to pick up the pom poms one by one.
- Add challenges to keep it fun! For example, ask them to sort the pom poms by color, count how many they can grab, or use a timer to see how quickly they can finish.
Notes
- Always supervise your child during this activity.
- If your kid is having a hard time, start with bigger pom poms or wider tongs to make it easier.
- Cheer them on, but let them figure it out—even if it’s a bit tricky.
- Turn it into a counting game—ask how many pom poms they can fit in each section!
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