INSIDE: Looking for fun and easy fine motor activities for your toddler or preschooler? This post has over 100 craft and activity ideas you can easily create at home or in the classroom to help your child or students improve their fine motor skills.

What are fine motor skills?

Fine motor skills are the interactions between the small muscles, like those of the hands and fingers, with the eyes. They include the small muscles used in common activities such as grasping small objects, eating, brushing teeth writing and getting dressed. They involve strength, fine motor control, and dexterity.

Babies and toddlers develop fine motor skills at their own pace. Some children develop some skills earlier than others, and that’s perfectly normal normal.

Ready to check out the ideas?! Here are over 100 ways your little one can play and create to improve their fine motor skills!

Fine Motor Crafts

1. Bird Seed Sweep {A Fine Motor Activity} (Little Pine Learners)
2. Paper Pale Apple Lacing Craft (Kids Craft Room)
3. Fine Motor Lantern Craft (The OT Toolbox)
4. Fish Sewing Board – Sewing Learning Activity for Kids (Happy Tot Shelf)
5. Torn Paper Watermelon Craft (Fantastic Fun and Learning)
6. Paper Chain Rainbow Craft (How We Learn)

Fine Motor Activities for Toddlers & Preschoolers

1. Cutting Practice Made Fun! (Days with Grey)
2. Make Preschool Fine Motor Practice Fun with Buttons (Coffee Cups and Crayons)
3. Musical Instrument Rescue (Happy Toddler Playtime)
4. FINE MOTOR STRENGTH FOIL ACTIVITY (The OT Toolbox)
5. KITCHEN WHISK BABY FINE MOTOR SKILLS SENSORY ACTIVITY (Hello Wonderful)
6. Fruit Loop Graph (Play to Learn Preschool)

More Fine Motor Ideas for Kids

1. Cap Twist Off Board (Happy Toddler Playtime)
2. Sticker Lines: Fine Motor Activity (Busy Toddler)
3. Sea Animal Rescue: Fine Motor Activity (Happy Toddler Playtime)
4. Clip Worm Fine Motor Activity (Your Therapy Source)
5. Quick and Easy Fine Motor Clothespin Activity (School Time Snippets)
6. Taped toys fine motor activity for toddlers and preschoolers (Laughing Kids Learn)
7. Rescue the Zoo Animals (Happy Toddler Playtime)
8. Car Mechanic Pretend Play Activity (Happy Toddler Playtime)
9. Peeling Orange Fine Motor Activity (hello, Wonderful)
10. Cardboard Tube Yarn Threading (Happy Toddler Playtime)
11. Toddlers Love Hammering Tees into a Box! (Hands On As We Grow)
12. Wine Cork Push: Fine Motor Activity (Happy Toddler Playtime)
13. Counting Hearts Wand (Happy Toddler Playtime)
14. Hole Punch Fine Motor Activity (The Resourceful Mama)
15. Caps & Marbles: Fine Motor Balancing Activity (Happy Toddler Playtime)
16. Flower Fine Motor Threading (Happy Toddler Playtime)
17. Peeling Tape Fine Motor Activity (Messy Little Monsters)
18. Baby Doll Haircuts (Happy Toddler Playtime)
19. Feed the Caterpillar Pom Pom Drop (Happy Toddler Playtime)
20. Pom Pom Water Transfer (Happy Toddler Playtime)
21. Pom Pom Drop Sticky Wall (Happy Toddler Playtime)
22. Pool Noodle Fine Motor Play (the Mundane and The Miraculous Life)
23. Sticky Tape Shapes (Happy Toddler Playtime)
24. Feed the Frog (Therapy Fun Zone)
25. Spagetti Drop Fine Motor Sensory Bin for Toddlers
26. Hole Punch Turkey Counting
27. Clip the Colors (Little Ones Learn)

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CLIP THE COLORS 🌈👌 This is one of my favorite posts from back in the beginning of Little Ones Learn 🥰 I love the matching and fine motor work that come with this DIY resource for toddlers and preschoolers. All you need is a piece of recycled cardboard, markers and clothespins! [I’ll link some assorted colors of clothespins today in my stories, but you can find them at most stores with craft supplies or paint your own at home.]••••••••• Simply cut a rectangle from a thick cardboard box to create your board, and draw your color circles all around the edges for matching. 🌈👉👉👉This is a great one to pack in a bag, bring on car trips, to appointments etc. Use it over and over again. 🌟 Clothespins are inexpensive and one of the best tools I’ve found to further develop fine motor skills and work the small muscles of the hand – pinching and squeezing them is hard work for little ones!! They’ll love the challenge ❤️👌 Save this one for later with the bookmark below and share with a friend who might like it as well 🥰👇 Have a happy Friday! . . . . . . #finemotor #finemotorskills #finemotoractivities #toddlerplayideas #igteachers #preschool #homeschool #activitiesforkids #montessoriinspired #toddlermom #playbasedlearning #wahm #boymom #preschoolathome #montessoriathome #preschoolactivities #activitiesfortoddlers #childhoodunplugged #igmotherhood #learnthroughplay #preschooler

A post shared by Molly | Little Ones Learn (@littleoneslearn) on Jun 26, 2020 at 5:03am PDT

30. Threading Holey Golf Balls (A Crafty Living)

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Another simple Busy Bag idea for Toddlers & Preschoolers, similar to the one we shared a few days back – Developing Fine Motor skills & Hand-Eye coordination. 👀 Miss2(24m) poked straws through holey plastic golf balls! ⛳️ ~ You could also include pipe cleaners or shoelace to make it more challenging! The contents of this Busy Bag, easily fits into a sandwhich ziplock bag, ready to throw into your bag for your #busytoddler at cafe's, restaurants, waiting rooms, etc. 🚙💺✈️ #craftyliving #craftylivingkids

A post shared by A Crafty LIVing (@acraftyliving) on Oct 25, 2016 at 3:22am PDT

Even More Ways to Improve Fine Motor Skills

Check out these three round up of activities that are great for developing and strengthening fine motor muscles in toddlers and preschoolers.

• 21+ Spray Bottle Fine Motor Ideas
• 40+ Easy Play Dough Activities
• 30+ Rescue Missions: Fun Fine Motor Activities for Toddlers

Pre-order your copy of my new book of sensory bins: Exciting Sensory Bins for Curious Kids: 60 Easy Creative Play Projects that Boost Brain Development, Calm Anxiety and Build Fine Motor Skills coming out October 27, 2020!

WILL YOU TRY ANY OF THESE FINE MOTOR SKILL CRAFTS & ACTIVITIES WITH YOUR TODDLER OR PRESCHOOLER? PIN IT FOR LATER!