Fine motor activities for preschoolers: 24 easy ideas

These 24 fine motor activities suit children aged 3 to 5, and most work for kindergarten too. They’re grouped by hand movement, from squeezing and pinching to cutting and twisting.

Each activity covers the materials and what children do with them, with a tip and ways to adjust for younger or older children. There’s also a materials list for a fine motor center and a five day plan you can copy.

What fine motor skills are, in plain words

Fine motor skills are the small movements of the hands and fingers. Children use them to grasp a crayon or pinch a pom-pom. Twisting a lid and pulling up a zipper use them too.

Children use these movements all day without noticing. The activities below give them more practice through play. Offer an easier and a harder version, then let children pick. Each child works at their own speed.

Before you start, check the materials. Many of these activities use small items such as beads, pom-poms, dry pasta and beans. These are choking hazards for any child who still puts things in their mouth. Keep small items on a tray where you can see them and supervise closely. Swap in larger pieces for younger children. Scissors and water play need an adult nearby too.

Squeezing and strengthening

Squeezing builds up the muscles in the palm and fingers. The four activities here make good warm ups before drawing or cutting.

1. Play dough squish and roll

You need play dough, a rolling pin or a short dowel, and a few plastic cookie cutters. Children squeeze the dough in their fists, roll it flat, pull off small pieces and press shapes into it. If you need dough, our play dough recipe makes a batch in about ten minutes.

Tip: hide a few small beads or buttons inside a ball of dough and let children dig them out with their fingers. Skip the hidden items for children who still mouth things. Three year olds can squeeze and poke. Four and five year olds can roll snakes and pinch off tiny balls, or shape the dough into letters.

2. Sponge transfer

Set out two bowls and a sponge. One bowl holds water, the other is empty. Children soak the sponge and squeeze the water into the empty bowl. Keep going until the first bowl is dry.

Tip: put a towel under the tray and start with a little water. Younger children do well with a big, soft sponge. A smaller sponge takes a harder squeeze, so offer that to older children.

3. Spray bottle painting

Fill a small spray bottle with water and a little washable paint or food coloring. Clip a sheet of paper to an easel or tape it to a wall or fence outside. Children squeeze the trigger and watch the colors run.

Tip: pick a bottle with a light trigger, and have children spray at the paper only. Three year olds may need two hands on the bottle. Older children can aim at targets, such as circles drawn on the paper.

4. Clothespin clip

Set out wooden or plastic clothespins and something to clip them to. Try the edge of a paper plate, a cardboard box or a string across the room. Children squeeze each pin open and clip it on.

Tip: draw a face on the plate and let the pins be hair, or write numbers on the plate and match numbered pins. That turns it into one of the quieter preschool math activities. Start with large, loose pins for three year olds. Stiff pins suit older children.

Pinching and picking up

The pincer grip brings the thumb against the first finger. Children use this grip to hold a pencil, and they’ll practice it in the activities below.

5. Tongs and pom-poms

Give each child kitchen tongs or child sized tweezers. Set out a bowl of large pom-poms and an empty muffin tin. They pick up pom-poms one at a time and drop them into the cups. Use dice or number cards to turn it into counting: roll a three, move three pom-poms.

Tip: large pom-poms are easier to grab and harder to swallow. Even so, watch children who mouth things and use soft balls of crumpled paper or cotton balls instead. Three year olds can use their fingers or big tongs. Four and five year olds can try sorting by color.

6. Tweezers and small objects

Once children are comfortable with tongs, move to tweezers. Put a tray of large buttons, big pasta shapes or paper punches next to a bowl. Children pick up each piece and place it in an egg carton.

Tip: tweezers are a step harder than tongs, so keep this at the table with an adult nearby. Choose pieces too big to fit in a child’s mouth.

7. Eyedropper color mixing

Fill small cups with colored water and give children an eyedropper (or a plastic pipette). Set out a white tray, a paper towel or an ice cube tray. Children squeeze up a little color and drop it into the cups. Overlap two colors and see what happens.

Tip: put the cups in a baking tray to catch spills. Expect splashing at first. Three year olds can use a turkey baster with a big bulb. Older children can fill each cup of an ice cube tray to the same line.

8. Pegs in a pegboard

A pegboard with chunky pegs asks for a precise grip and careful aim. Children push the pegs into the holes to make a picture, or arrange them in rows and patterns. Put a pattern card on the table and ask them to copy it.

Tip: use large pegs with younger children and keep them in a tray, not loose on the floor. Older children can make a red, blue, red, blue pattern and pass it to a partner to continue.

Threading and lacing

Threading asks hands to work together: one holds, the other pushes. For a full set of ideas, see our post on threading for preschool.

9. Big beads and pasta

Use large wooden beads, or penne and rigatoni, and a shoelace or pipe cleaner with one end taped or knotted. Children slide the pieces on, then tie off the ends to make a necklace or bracelet. Pipe cleaners are stiffer than string, which makes them easier for beginners.

Tip: count the beads before and after. Small ones disappear. Dry pasta is a choking hazard for children who mouth things, so use big wooden beads for them. Four and five year olds can follow a color pattern.

10. Lacing cards

Punch holes around the edge of a sturdy cardboard shape, or buy a set of lacing cards. Tie a shoelace to one hole and let children weave in and out. Shapes with a few big holes work for three year olds. Animal shapes, fruit and mittens give older children something to finish. In winter, cut out two paper mittens and punch holes around them. Lace them together as in our winter activities for preschoolers.

Tip: wrap a little tape around the tip of the lace to make a stiff end.

11. Straw and yarn necklaces

Cut paper straws into short pieces, about the width of a finger. Tape one end of a long piece of yarn to the table, and have children thread the straw pieces onto the other end. The tape stops the yarn from sliding through.

Tip: cut the straws yourself and sweep up the scraps, as the small cut ends are a hazard. Three year olds can thread five or six pieces. Older children can alternate two colors.

Cutting and snipping

Scissors take more coordination than any other tool in this post. Build up to them. See our guide to scissor skills for preschoolers for the full progression.

12. Snip paper strips

Cut index card stock or construction paper into strips about an inch wide. One snip across a strip makes a small piece. Supervise closely, and teach children to carry scissors with the blades closed.

Tip: one snip is a good first goal. Three year olds can use safety scissors, with an adult guiding. Older children can cut a strip into four or five pieces.

13. Scissors and play dough snakes

Roll play dough into long snakes and let children snip them into pieces, like cutting noodles. The dough is softer than paper, which makes it a good first scissor activity.

Tip: use child sized scissors with rounded tips. Older children can snip a snake into equal lengths and count the pieces.

14. Cutting practice sheets

Once children can snip, try lines. Our free cutting practice worksheets are ready to print, with lines and shapes ranging from a first straight snip to zigzags and curves. Start with a straight line from one side of the page to the other, then work up to curves.

Tip: draw a green dot at the start and a red dot at the end. Three year olds may only manage a short straight line. Four and five year olds can follow a zigzag or cut around a circle.

Pre-writing and tracing

Before letters come lines and curves. These activities let children practice the strokes with their whole arm first, then with a smaller tool.

15. Salt tray lines

Pour a thin layer of salt or sand into a baking tray. Children use one finger to draw lines or circles, then try waves. Shake the tray gently to wipe it clean and start again.

Tip: the lines show best in a thin layer. Salt isn’t for eating. Watch children who mouth things and use dry oatmeal or rice instead.

16. Big chalk and vertical drawing

Hand out thick sidewalk chalk for drawing on the pavement or a chalkboard. Children can also draw on butcher paper taped to a wall. Drawing upright works the shoulder and wrist as well as the fingers. Start with straight lines from top to bottom and side to side. Then try circles.

Tip: set a small challenge, such as a road for a toy car. Three year olds can scribble and make big sweeps. Older children can draw shapes and the first letter of their name.

17. Tracing names and numbers

When children are ready for pencils, offer a page to trace. Our free name tracing worksheets let you type in each child’s name, and the number tracing worksheets cover 0 to 9. Use a thick crayon or a short pencil, and let children trace over the dotted lines.

Tip: keep sessions to about five minutes. For repeat practice, slide a page into a plastic sleeve and use a dry erase marker. Three year olds may prefer to trace with a finger first. Older children can write the letter beside the dotted one.

Twisting, screwing and building

Twisting the wrist while holding something steady is a different skill from pinching. Children use it throughout the day with lids and doorknobs, and with toys too.

18. Jar lid match

Collect five or six jars and bottles with different lids. Take the lids off and put everything in a basket. Children find the matching lid and screw it on. Use plastic containers, not glass.

Tip: stick a matching colored dot on each jar and lid so children can check. Start with two jars for three year olds.

19. Nuts and bolts

Large plastic nuts and bolts, or a toy wooden screwdriver set, give a satisfying turn. Children thread each nut onto its bolt and screw it down. Some sets come with a board where the bolts go.

Tip: look for chunky pieces made for preschoolers. Real hardware is too small and too sharp.

20. Building with blocks

With interlocking blocks like LEGO DUPLO, children line up the bricks and press them together, then pull them apart. Try building a tower, a bridge or a zoo enclosure. Pulling bricks apart is half the exercise, so leave a few built models for children to take to pieces.

Tip: give children a goal, such as a house for a toy animal. Three year olds can stack. Older children can follow a simple picture card.

21. Sticker peeling

Stickers are good practice for the pincer grip. Stick a sheet to the table. Children peel each sticker off with a thumb and finger. They can place it on a paper plate, a number line or a picture.

Tip: lift the corner of each sticker first for younger children. Older children can line stickers up in a row from left to right.

Everyday fine motor practice

Some of the best practice happens during ordinary parts of the day. None of these need extra materials.

22. Buttons and zippers

Fill a dress-up basket with shirts, jackets and bags. Look for large buttons, zippers and snaps. Children practice dressing a doll or themselves.

Tip: choose items with large, loose buttons. Give children time before offering help. Three year olds may begin with zippers. Older children can fasten a coat on their own before going outside.

23. Snack time jobs

Let children pour their own water from a small pitcher. With a plastic knife, they can spread soft cheese or nut-free butter on a cracker. Peeling a mandarin orange is another job to try. Each of these uses both hands in a different way.

Tip: check for allergies before offering any food, and stay with children while they eat. Practice pouring with dry rice or water over a tray first. Three year olds may need a half-full cup. Older children can serve the next person.

24. Real classroom jobs

Watering plants, wiping tables, sweeping crumbs with a small brush and wringing out a cloth are all real work that uses small muscles. Add them to your classroom jobs chart and rotate through the week. Wiping a table in circles is also a pre-writing movement.

Tip: use small, child sized tools so hands can grip them. Fill the watering can only halfway. Three year olds like jobs with a clear start and finish. Older children can take on a job for the whole week.

How to set up a fine motor center

A fine motor center is a table or shelf with a few activity trays for children to choose from. Choose a spot with good light and a table where children can sit with their feet on the floor.

Start with three or four trays. Change one or two each week to keep the area fresh. Store the rest in a box. To get started, gather:

• play dough, a rolling pin and cookie cutters
• kitchen tongs and tweezers
• a muffin tin
• large pom-poms (or cotton balls for younger children)
• eyedroppers and small cups
• big wooden beads and shoelaces
• lacing cards
• safety scissors and paper strips
• chunky chalk and a small tray of salt
• sticker sheets
• a basket of jars and lids

Put each activity in its own tray so the pieces stay together. Introduce a new tray to the whole group before leaving it out for choice time.

If you run a rotation, the visual timer can signal when it’s time to move. Five to ten minutes at each tray is plenty for most groups of three to five year olds.

A fine motor week plan you can copy

Pick activities that suit your group and fit them into the week using the lesson plan template.

• Monday: play dough squish and roll (1), tongs and pom-poms (5) at the center, and snack time pouring (23).
• Tuesday: sponge transfer (2), big beads and pasta (9), and a cutting practice sheet (14).
• Wednesday: salt tray lines (15), sticker peeling (21), and the classroom jobs chart (24).
• Thursday: eyedropper color mixing (7), jar lid match (18), and building with blocks (20).
• Friday: spray bottle painting (3), clothespin clip (4), and name tracing (17). See our art activities for preschoolers for more ways to end the week.

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