Fun with Pipe Cleaners - Fine Motor Skills

Here is a quick idea for some practicing fine motor skills that uses something most everyone has - a colander! You will also need some pipe cleaners, which in my opinion are also something everyone should have. This Fun with Pipe Cleaners fine motor skills activity takes no time to set up and is great for when you need to keep your child busy for a little bit so you can make dinner. Just don't have them do this if you are cooking something that requires a colander.

Fine Motor Skills activity with Pipe Cleaners - Kids will have a ball while pushing and pulling pipe cleaners.

WHAT DO YOU NEED FOR THIS FINE MOTOR ACTIVITY?

fine motor skills activity with a collander

I am lucky to have 2 colanders, but not so lucky to have 3. Little C was not happy that she had to wait her turn while her sisters did the activity first. To be fair, at 18 months, C had a tough time with this fine motor skills activity, but she did love playing with the pipe cleaners.

HOW TO HAVE FINE MOTOR FUN WITH PIPE CLEANERS

A and B just adored this easy activity. I gave each of them a colander and a bunch of colorful pipe cleaners. I showed them how they could poke the pipe cleaners through the holes of the colander to create sculptures. The girls thought they looked like tunnels.

They kept asking for more and more pipe cleaners (luckily I had a few bags of them) so you might want to have some extra on hand. They were delighted with their creations and A proclaimed "this is fabulous!" What I really found fabulous was that I snuck in some fine motor work. As the girls pushed their pipe cleaners into the small holes they were strengthening their fine motor skills.

The finished product! What do you think of their fine motor skills art?