Weaving Exercises for Fine Motor Development
Preschool is the perfect time to help your kiddos "fine tune" their fine motor skills. While there are a plethora of activities to consider, lacing and weaving exercises are great because they strengthen hand muscles, promote focus, test hand-eye coordination, and reinforce problem solving skills - all hallmarks of fine motor mastery! Here are some essentials for your fine motor activity station...
Lacing Cards
Lacing cards are actually quite simple to make and can be fully customized to fit any theme, unit, or lesson!
My Montessori Journey creator uses recycled greeting cards to create unique lacing experiences for her kiddos! No scissors necessary, all you need is a paper punch and plenty of yarn! While greeting cards are usually made from sturdier paper, you might consider laminating them just in case!
Shannon, over at Shannon's Tot School, recommends creating lacing cards from colorful craft foam sheets. The soft, "squishy" foam will provide a unique sensory experience for your preschoolers and stand up to the wear and tear of extended use.
Greeting cards from Arrowood Zoo. WonderFoam®. How about regular card stock? Print, copy, or trace the appropriate image onto the paper, cut it out, laminate it, and you're set! For more versatility and fun, create black and white cards, allowing students to color the pictures before laminating them!
If you're not up for making your own lacing cards, Melissa & Doug and MPM School Supplies (among other educational toy suppliers) provide handy lacing card kits that make a great addition to any preschool classroom!
Where To Find Lacing Card Images & Inspiration
- Online. Find free templates at Activity Village, Shannon's Tot School, and other preschool activity sites. Look for printable coloring pages and clip art that can be adapted/printed onto card stock and made into lacing cards. Or just browse for inspiration in making your own. Childcare Land offers some great cards to purchase or use to get the creative juices flowing!
- Word processing software. Most come with a gallery of clip art that can be printed onto card stock and adapted for lacing cards.
- Magazines. If you find fun pictures/objects that are big enough, cut them out, glue them to a piece of card stock, and laminate!
- Coloring books. Copy the desired page onto card stock, cut out, and laminate! Or, if you need just one, laminate the original coloring book page.
- Cereal box panels. No need to laminate, just cut apart, punch some holes, and get to lacing!
- Recycled storybook pages.
- Greeting cards.
Lacing & Weaving Activities
Try these toilet paper roll lacing tubes from Jenn at Totally Tots.
Create a simple lacing activity with peg board like this one at Journey Into Unschooling.
Recycle a round wooden cabinet organizer and make a unique lacing/weaving toy like this one at Journey Into Unschooling.
Try this plastic basket and ribbon weaving activity from Teach Preschool.
Recycle metal closet shelves or a wire shelf organizer for a weaving activity like this at PreKinders.
Your students are sure to love each of these unique weaving and lacing activities! Be sure to check out each projects site for further insights, directions, and other early childhood resources!
