Montessori Activities for fine motor & prewriting skills
This activity is perfect for the preschool & kindergarten child (3 -6 year olds). This work has the added bonus of strengthening the muscles used with handwriting. You will be getting your kids ready for writing (and they won't even know it)!
This activity requires the use of a small, sharp object and should be done under adult supervision.
Gather Your Materials
* a push pin (a small craft cork or wine cork works well to hold the pin when not being used)*construction paper (card stock, old greeting cards, etc would work as well)
* pencil
* small folded towel or washcloth to place under the paper while you punch (we use cut pieces of carpet squares)
*optional: shape to trace (you can easily begin by freehand drawing shapes onto the paper)
How To Do Punch Outs
- Trace or draw your shape on the paper - circles are easy to begin with.
- Place paper on top of your towel or carpet square.
- Hold the paper in place with your subdominant hand (the hand you do not write with). With the pin in your dominant (writing) hand, place the tip of the pin on top of the line and push gently through the paper.
- Lift and place pin tip very close to the first pin hole. Push gently through the paper.
- Repeat until the entire shape has been punched.
- To remove, you can either break through the punched line with your fingernail or by dragging the pin from one hole to the next. If your holes are close enough together, it will not take much to pop it right out.
Punch Out Hints
If your child seems overwhelmed by completing an entire shape at once, break it down into smaller sections by punching a starting hole and an ending hole 1 to 2 inches away.- If the holes are too far apart to remove from paper easily, show your child how to go back and add holes between the ones they already made. Your child can check for themselves if the holes are close enough together: when you hold the punched paper line up to your eyes, you should be able to see through the paper easily. If you can't see much, you need more holes!
- Construction paper is easiest for the beginning puncher to use. A more experienced puncher could experiment with heavier and lighter paper.
- Huge push pins are not better in this case. Childrens' hands are small and creating holes in paper require small movements. Oversized objects are actually harder for children to manipulate with any refinement (this goes for pencils, markers and crayons as well.) Remember, this movement will actually develop the muscles needed for handwriting.
Best Beginner's Tracing Shapes
Shapes Triangle Knob Puzzle
Amazon Price: (as of 12/01/2009)
This is the set I use in my classroom. The shapes are thick, which is easier for beginners to trace. It also means that it is sturdy: this puzzle has lasted four years of daily classroom use and has never broken!
Make Your Own Tracing Shapes
Having your kids trace shapes makes this activity one they can do with minimal assistance for you. (Of course if they want to draw their own shapes and then punch them out - even better!) Knobbed shapes are the easiest ones to trace, but you don't need to spend a fortune on puzzles to get them. Go to your local craft store - chances are they have a section devoted to unfunished wood items. The ones in my class that I made ranged in price from 29 to 99 cents. For knobs I used a tiny spool shape that comes 8 to a package. A little glue (I like Weldbond) and you have an inexpensive, traceable shape! More options in case you don't want to make your own,
Check out these puzzles instead!
Melissa & Doug Insects Wooden Chunky Puzzle
Amazon Price: $9.53 (as of 12/01/2009)
Used Price:
Usually ships in 24 hours
Melissa & Doug Construction Wooden Chunky Puzzle
Amazon Price: $9.53 (as of 12/01/2009)
Used Price:
Usually ships in 24 hours
Melissa & Doug Pets Mix'n Match Wooden Chunky Puzzle
Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 12/01/2009)
Used Price:
Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Melissa & Doug Deluxe Fish Bowl Jumbo Knob Puzzle
Amazon Price: $9.06 (as of 12/01/2009)
Used Price:
Usually ships in 24 hours
Beginning Scissor Work
Is your little Honey Bunny ready for scissors? Make it easy on them by providing 1 inch strips of card stock for them to use. The narrow width makes it easy to hold while completing a cut with just one movement.
In class, we keep a cutting tray ready at all times. We have a basket to hold the paper strips, a tray for the scissors, and an empty basket that is used to catch the cuttings. Once the cutting is complete, they take the pieces and place them inside a piggy bank. We pull out the best shapes and reuse them for art projects and pasting practice.
For more advanced cutting practice, draw lines on the paper for your child to follow. Begin with straight lines, then move on to straight lines that change directions, then follow up with curvy lines. After this, they are ready to cut just about anything! Our favorite is the Oriental Trading Company catalog - the kids love the product pictures which happen to be laid out in nice, even boxes!
Get your punch out and cutting supplies here!
F. T. Ross 125 Weldbond Glue
This productive is useful for making your own tracing shapes as well as for repairing other wooden Montessori materials!
Amazon Price: $2.30 (as of 12/01/2009)
PUSH PINS CLEAR 100/BX
Can't do a punch out without the pins! Again, smaller size is better for the smaller size of the child's hand.
Amazon Price: (as of 12/01/2009)
Fiskars Spring action Scissors 9390
These are the perfect first scissors because they are spring loaded, making it easier for the child to cut. Also, they work equally well for both left and right handed users.
Amazon Price: $7.11 (as of 12/01/2009)
Diecuts with a View All-Occasion 12-by-12-Inch Glitter Scrapbook Paper
Pretty paper is fun to punch and to cut. For cutting strips, make the strips narrow enough for the scissors to cut through on the first cut.
Amazon Price: $19.99 (as of 12/01/2009)
Montessori Curriculum
Interested in Montessori? Check out some of my other lenses!
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A child has an amazing capacity to learn during the first six years of life! It is comforting to know specific things we can do as parents to optimize our children's learning. There are many ideas in this book that can be implemented without spendin...
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I became a teacher because I wanted to help children learn how to read. With the Montessori language materials, I can do just that during the three-year time span (3 - 6 years old) I am with a child. Rather than waiting until a child reaches a specif...
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Cuts from the rest of the world
- Good Idea: Cutting Kids Food with Scissors | Apartment Therapy ...
- Good Idea: Cutting Kids Food with Scissors ยท 2009-11-19-scissors.jpg. Saturday evening dinner consisted of Korean food with friends. When the beef kalbi was ready to eat, I started looking for the waitress to bring me a knife. ...
- Organised fun for kids: Christmas Crafts: Pom Pom Tree Decorations
- Step 2: Cutting the Pom-Pom. Now, you will take a pair of scissors, and go around the edges of the circle, cutting around the edges. You will be cutting through every layer of yarn around the edges completely. ...
- That Doesn't Even LOOK Like Writing | Heart of the Matter Online ...
- You can find some good cutting printables here: Positively Autism: Scissor Activities. Tracing. So back to writing. Again?hours of lost time trying to force the issue. Kicking and screaming, hair pulling?exhaustion. (The kids too. ...
Dear Readers,
Did you think this lens was a cut above the rest?
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Reply
- Evelyn_Saenz Evelyn_Saenz Apr 29, 2009 @ 8:11 pm
- This lens is now featured on Unit Studies: Fun, Creative Hands-On Leaning Group.
Please come visit other lenses in our group.
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- hlkljgk hlkljgk Apr 29, 2009 @ 7:06 am
- great ideas :)
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- Evelyn_Saenz Evelyn_Saenz Apr 27, 2009 @ 10:44 am
- What a wonderful lens and what wonderful ideas for helping children who are not yet ready to cut while helping them strengthen their fingers for handwriting.
Featured on and lensrolled to Penmanship: The Art of Teaching Handwriting and Mapping the World.
Please consider joining Unit Studies: Fun, Creative Hands-On Leaning Group.
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Reply
- Pastiche Pastiche Apr 26, 2009 @ 3:05 pm
- Ingenious - and great hand-eye practice. Saving this technique to use with my grandson this summer. 5*
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Reply
- MysticTurtle MysticTurtle Mar 23, 2009 @ 12:48 pm
- I wish I was a kid again. They do such neat activities with them these days. 5*
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Meet My Muse
Yes, I am Montessori certified and work full-time in a classroom. When it comes to my home however, I haven't been quite as diligent about preparing the environment for my little Turtle. She is such a source of joy to me that I figured it is about time I put that positive energy to good use. Please join me as I try to settle my home and begin pursuing some of my dreams. And if you are reading this now you can see that I have already begun working on one of those goals!
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Lensmaster C-Joy has been a member since February 1 2009, has rated 616 lenses, favorited 125, and has created 22 lenses from scratch. This member's top-ranked page is "My Montessori Language Curriculum". See all my lenses
My Bio
As an educator (licensed K-6, Montessori Primary certification: AMS, MACTE) and a parent, I am devoted to helping chidren learning how to become independent, life-long learners and good citizens. Montessori is an effective way to translate these beliefs into reality. Sadly, not everyone has access to a Montessori education. So I am bringing my experiences, thoughts and beliefs to the table with the intention of helping others and keeping Montessori education alive.
I am also a compulsive reader, bibliophile, anglophile, armchair traveler, creative cook, aspiring gardener who happens to enjoy listening to 80's music. I happen to think (and my husband agrees) that I have a fabulous sense of humor.
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