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Today’s activity is part of a series of A to Z everyday fine motor materials where we each take something simple that is in almost every home and share a fine motor activity for either your toddler or preschooler.
Our everyday material is paperclips! I made the kids a lovely printable with color dots for sorting which will also be a great addition to our collection of busy bags!
These fine motor busy bags consist of the following
Colorful paperclips
Our printable dot cards (download at the bottom of this post)
Optional busy bags pouch or a simple sealable plastic bag for long term storage
I laminated our dot card as well as individual dots for the durability of the busy bags as they get used tons. But using card stock (cardboard) will work just as well for a quick fine motor activity.
I printed 2 pages of the printable dot cards, the one I laminated as is and the other I cut the circles out and then laminated those.
With the circle dots color match the paper clips and have the older toddler or preschooler clip on the paperclips to the circle. This look my 5 year old a few tries as he kept holding the paperclip the wrong way around so it would not slip onto the circle.
Once he figured out that there were 2 sides to the paperclip things went smoothly and he was able to clip the paperclips onto the circles.
My young toddler who is always fascinated by what her brothers are doing come over to investigate. At age 2 she tried to color sort the paperclips onto the sheet of color dots.
For my toddler packing up busy bags seems to currently be her favorite activity solution to things that are a bit beyond her current skill level.
A few other things you can do with your preschooler with paperclips includes making a chain of them. This was a super fine motor activity as the clips would only chain in a certain way.
Once my preschooler figured this one out he made an entire chain of all the white clips.
You can make a necklace.
Make a few shapes. Pretend it is a wiggly worm or make a spiral!
More advanced learners can make letters and number shapes out of the paperclips.
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you have to tell your printer to “fit to page” then it wont be cut off 🙂
Abigailsays
I love your ideas – especially making worms, spirals, numbers (and letters) out of paperclips. I will definitely be using these ideas with my reception class! I wonder if any of my children will be able to write their whole name using paperclips?? Thank you! 🙂
Geez, last week I needed ONE Paper Clip! Just one. Had none at all in house, went to Thrift Store & found some. They are cute, pearl paint colored but they came in an enormous ziplock bag!?!? What was I going to do with all of these??? I had NO IDEA until Now! TY for sharing these fantastic educational resources! I’m sooo happy I grabbed them now!!! 😀
)
Sudan Kumar says
Nice kids art & craft.
Mariaan Calitz says
Morning, I just want to thank you for many helpful ideas and hints on how to teach my toddlers at school.
Mariaan Calitz
Mansi Rana says
Amazing ideas for kid’s engaging. Keep sharing more.
heather says
This is such a fun activity for lil girls and boys, my lil ones are going to love it… I have bookmarked this for my weekend fun with kids 🙂
Suzanne says
LOVE your wonderful ideas! Just an FYI…I printed the colorful dot cards but the purple and pick ones get cut off.
Nicolette Roux says
you have to tell your printer to “fit to page” then it wont be cut off 🙂
Abigail says
I love your ideas – especially making worms, spirals, numbers (and letters) out of paperclips. I will definitely be using these ideas with my reception class! I wonder if any of my children will be able to write their whole name using paperclips?? Thank you! 🙂
Nicolette Roux says
Awesome! What a challenge!
Jeanine says
Geez, last week I needed ONE Paper Clip! Just one. Had none at all in house, went to Thrift Store & found some. They are cute, pearl paint colored but they came in an enormous ziplock bag!?!? What was I going to do with all of these??? I had NO IDEA until Now! TY for sharing these fantastic educational resources! I’m sooo happy I grabbed them now!!! 😀
Carrie says
This is so cute!! I love it. Pinning – I think my pre-schooler would love this.
Thanks for linking up at Wordy Wednesday!
Tiffiny says
great idea! Pinning to my busy bag board.
suu says
Great idea to improve fine motor skills.
Emma @ P is for Preschooler says
Making the chains is my daughter’s favorite paper clip activity! They are great for fine motor skills!