MUD&marbles Fine Motor
Find The FUN IN Finemotor skills
There are so many play-based activities and naturally occurring daily tasks that your child already engages in while strengthening their fine motor skills. For instance, holding a spoon is just one example. However, sometimes we need to further boost and strengthen those little muscles in their small hands. Over the years, I noticed that my students required simplified yet engaging fine motor challenges and tasks. This observation led me to create these kindergarten crafts, which I began implementing into my classroom. Below, I have showcased some of our class favorites that effectively support fine motor skills development!
Use items from nature with scissors and watch what happens! Loose parts encourage creativity and im
Discover Mud and Marbles Kindergargg
Loose Parts in Nature
Loose Parts in Nature
Loose Parts in Nature
Bring nature and creativity together with this play-based fine motor activity! 🌿 Children collect loose parts from nature—like leaves, twigs, seeds, and pebbles—to design their own mixed media collage or Leaf Man craft inspired by Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert. Perfect for kindergarten and preschool, this hands-on outdoor learning activity strengthens fine motor skills, creativity, and sensory exploration. Encourage families to join in by collecting leaves at home for a meaningful, reusable nature-based craft experience!
Make A smoothie
Loose Parts in Nature
Loose Parts in Nature
Let’s make a smoothie! 🥤 This fine motor scissor skills activity is a fun and engaging kindergarten craft that helps little learners practice cutting, coloring, and gluing. Children create their own smoothie using two differentiated templates — one with fruit and one with vegetables — perfect for supporting all learners. Designed for year-round use, this print-and-go activity fits beautifully into a healthy choices unit or after any food-themed read-aloud, making fine motor learning both delicious and play-based!
Community Map Making
Loose Parts in Nature
Community Map Making
Let’s explore our community through play! 🏘️ These fine motor scissor skills and gluing activities are perfect for kindergarten and grade 1, combining creativity, cutting, and map-making fun. This print-and-go PDF includes skill-leveled community maps, cut-and-paste icons, and two types of legends to support differentiation and independence. Children can design their own maps or use ready-to-go templates for easy success. Ideal for social studies, play-based centers, and kindergarten crafts, this engaging resource builds fine motor, community awareness, and problem-solving skills!
Scissor soup
Pack A Picnic
Community Map Making
Stir up some fun with Scissor Soup! 🥣 This fine motor cutting and gluing activity is perfect for kindergarten and preschool learners who love hands-on, play-based learning. Students color, cut, and glue their own pretend soup while practicing scissor control, coordination, and creativity. With two differentiated templates—one simple version for beginners and another with more cutting practice—this print-and-go activity is ideal for fine motor centers, art time, or early learning classrooms. A souper engaging way to strengthen cutting skills all year long!
Pizza pizza!
Pack A Picnic
Pack A Picnic
Get ready to cook up some creativity with this Make a Pizza Craft! 🍅 This fine motor scissor skills and gluing activity is a fun, play-based printable PDF designed for kindergarten and preschool learners. Children cut out their favorite pizza toppings—like cheese, veggies, and pepperoni—and glue them onto the pizza crust to design their own delicious masterpiece. Perfect for art centers, fine motor practice, or pretend play, this easy, reusable craft builds coordination, creativity, and cutting confidence!
Pack A Picnic
Pack A Picnic
Pack A Picnic
Pack your basket and get ready for some cutting fun with Pack A Picnic Scissor Skills! 🧺 This play-based fine motor activity is a super simple kindergarten craft that helps little learners strengthen scissor control, coordination, and creativity. Designed with two differentiated versions, it’s easy to tailor for all ability levels. Simply print in black and white, then color, cut, and glue your own picnic creation! Perfect for summer learning, center time, or after a picnic-themed read-aloud, this printable PDF makes fine motor practice fun and engaging all year long!
Growth Mindset
Growth Mindset
Growth Mindset
Celebrate fresh beginnings with this New Year’s 2026 Cut and Paste Activity! 🥳 Perfect for kindergarten and special education, this fine motor craft encourages a growth mindset as students reflect on three new things they’d like to try in the year ahead. Choose from three fun themes — summer, winter, and sports — to suit your learners’ interests. Simply print, color, cut, and glue for a play-based activity that combines creativity, reflection, and fine motor practice in one joyful, low-prep resource!
SliME
Growth Mindset
Growth Mindset
Hands down the best fine motor center in kindergarten! This engaging activity not only supports fine motor skills but also makes for a fun kindergarten sensory activity. You might want to double the recipe: 1/2 Cup of Elmer's Glue (white or clear), 1/2 tsp of baking soda, a couple drops of food coloring. Mix these ingredients together, and for an extra touch, you can add a few drops of essential oil. Then, add 1-2 Tbsp of contact solution and mix! As the kids squeeze and mold the slime during this play-based activity, those fine motor muscles in their little hands receive quite the workout!
easy fine motor activities
Bubble Wrap
Pop, press, and play! 🎈 Bubble wrap is an awesome play-based fine motor activity that preschool and kindergarten students absolutely love. Each satisfying pop helps strengthen finger muscles, hand-eye coordination, and sensory awareness — all while keeping learning fun and engaging. Use bubble wrap for art projects, sensory bins, or scissor practice, and watch your little learners build fine motor control through joyful, hands-on play. Simple, inexpensive, and endlessly entertaining — bubble wrap learning never gets old!
Hole punch paper
Punch, press, and play! 🎉 Using a hole punch with paper is an easy, play-based fine motor activity that’s perfect for preschool and kindergarten learners. Every “click” helps strengthen hand muscles, coordination, and finger control — key skills for future writers and artists! Pair this simple tool with colored paper, number hunts, or art projects to add excitement to any fine motor center. Affordable, engaging, and endlessly fun, hole punching turns everyday paper into powerful hands-on learning!
rip & tear
Kids love rippin’ and tearin’! 💥 Rip and tear paper activities are easy, play-based fine motor tasks perfect for preschool and kindergarten learners. Tearing paper strengthens hand muscles, coordination, and bilateral control while encouraging creativity and sensory exploration. Use this simple activity for art projects, letter formation, or collage making — no scissors needed! It’s a low-prep, hands-on learning experience that builds fine motor skills and keeps little hands busy with fun, purposeful play.
Marker lids
Pop, click, and play! 🎨 Taking marker lids on and off is a simple yet powerful fine motor activity for preschool and kindergarten learners. This everyday task builds finger strength, hand coordination, and pincer grip — essential skills for writing readiness. Whether used during art time or center play, this play-based fine motor experience turns routine classroom moments into meaningful learning opportunities. Easy, engaging, and naturally hands-on, marker lid practice helps little hands grow strong through purposeful play!
Plasticine
Roll, squeeze, and sculpt with plasticine! 💪 Unlike soft play dough, plasticine offers a greater fine motor challenge, helping preschool and kindergarten learners strengthen hand muscles, grip, and coordination through sensory-rich play. Its firmer texture encourages resistance-based manipulation, perfect for building endurance and control. Use it for art projects, letter formation, or creative modeling in your play-based classroom. This hands-on sensory material promotes focus, creativity, and fine motor growth — making it a must-have for every early years learning space! which comes with its own word bank, or explore the How To Make Pizza cut and paste sequencing page for procedure reflection. It's an ideal resource for kindergarten crafts and play-based activities, making it perfect for World Pizza Day or anytime you're teaching about pizza in class. Simply print in black and white.