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Another rather quick fine motor skill idea this week with a DIY Shape Sorter. I love that it is great to develop the sense of shapes and offers some fine motor skills!
My toddler was napping unusually long yesterday so my preschooler had some fun with this box instead.
But first, aren’t these assorted beads just so pretty! (I seem to like loose parts and odds and ends)
To make this simple little shape sorter I found a box of appropriate size, it had housed some or other PC part my hubby had recently bought, now the box was mine!
I started by picking a few shapes I wanted to focus on. I wanted to make this activity for my toddler who is just starting to learn her shapes so choose 3 simple ones. A square, star and circle.
Tracing the shapes in pen I then cut out the outlines with a carpet cutter. You could use a sharp pointed knife if in a pinch, watch those fingers!
Next up present the activity to the toddler or preschooler. Please always supervise activities like this with smaller parts!
My toddler hardly puts things like this in her mouth so it is perfect for her. I demonstrated the purpose of the box to my preschooler and he took it from there.
An hour later after inserting the shapes, opening the box and repeating he was threading the one kind of shape on a thin straw and the letting the entire string fall into the holes.
I can’t wait till later so my toddler can play too!
Love fine motor skills? Take a look what my co-hosts are up to this week!
- Zig Zag Painting from Still Playing School
- Craft Foam Collage from Craftulate
- One Ingredient Edible Paint from Lalymom
- What is in the Grass? Cutting Activity from School Time Snippets
Kristina says
Oooo! I love those beads! My kiddos would enjoy this, too. They enjoy little manipulatives.
Laura @ Lalymom says
So cute, looks like he had fun! I love the idea of threading them and letting them fall in, how fun!