Here are a few different ways we worked on fine motor skills using a colander and a few other things.
Some kids can get really into fine motor activities like this.
Other kids just won’t, and that’s totally OK.
Elena (now age 3) was never particularly interested in this type of fine motor activity, but Lia (age 20 months in these pics) loved it.
Why Do Fine Motor Activities?
Fine motor activities target small motor muscles, such as hand and finger muscles.
These types of activities typically aim to strengthen hands and fingers, as well as develop hand-eye coordination.
Fine motor skills are important because kids need them to do many things such as write, tie their shoes, twist open doorknobs, and zip up their jackets.
Fine Motor Fun with a Colander
First, and most obviously, you’ll need a colander.
Or anything with holes in it like a colander.
We also used pipe cleaners, feathers, and dyed pasta, for which you could sub in beads.
To get started, turn the colander over and have kids stick pipe cleaners into the holes.
Mine was a mini colander, so I cut our long pipe cleaner sticks in half so they would fit better. I also find that shorter sticks are easier for kids to work with.
Then we threaded the pasta (or beads) onto the pipe cleaner ends that were sticking out of the colander.
Then Lia helped me take the pasta and pipe cleaners off, and I provided craft feathers for her to stick into the colander.
Elena enjoyed doing this with feathers, too.
If Kids Won’t Sit Still for Fine Motor Activities
Fine motor doesn’t have to be a sit down activity.
Here are a two ideas for nixing the chair and mixing in some gross motor fun.
- Try doing these colander activities standing up.
- Turn it into a relay race of sorts where the colander is on one side of the room and the pipe cleaners, beads, and feathers are on the other side of the room.
Want to Learn More about Fine Motor?
I have a ton of simple fine motor activities on this blog that also include more info on fine motor development for kids.
Check it out here if you’re interested!
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