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Kids Play Smarter

Maximizing your child's play with purposeful activities

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You are here: Home / Archives for fine motor activities

Shaving Cream Balloon Face

June 15, 2017 by Amy Smith

Make a shaving cream balloon face educational by adding learning concepts like numbers, shapes, or letters underneath shaving cream on a face and wipe it away to see what's underneath! Perfect for young kids learning basic academics.

Your child will have a blast playing this game while utilizing their fine motor, visual perceptual, and sensory tactile skills! Add in some academic concepts and you have a learning … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fine Motor Activities, Sensory Regulation Tagged With: fine motor activities, sensory activities, tactile activities

Everyday Activities Building Fine Motor Strength

March 19, 2017 by Amy Smith

Discover 30 fine motor strengthening activities for kids that are found in everyday actions. Perfect for improving hand strength for kids of all ages. Check it out here!

There are endless ways to improve our fine motor strength all around us.   Great fine motor strengthening exercises are often pleasantly "disguised" as fun everyday activities. Many … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fine Motor Activities Tagged With: fine motor activities, hand strengthening

Scissor Secrets that make Cutting Easy

November 15, 2016 by Amy Smith

Learn these scissor secrets to make cutting easy for your child. Tips include ideas for hand strengthening, wrist positioning, and visual cues.

Learning how to cut is a big milestone for your child and cutting skills are expected to be mastered by elementary school.  Yet learning how to properly hold and manipulate scissors can … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fine Motor Activities Tagged With: cutting, fine motor activities, scissor skills

7 Uses for Left Over Candy

October 25, 2016 by Amy Smith

Transform left over candy from the holidays into motivating kids' games that improve fine motor and academic skills.

Think about all candy your child accumulates at parties surrounding birthdays, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine's Day, and Easter. Yep, when you buy bulk candy the only … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fine Motor Activities, Therapist's Tips Tagged With: academic activities, fine motor activities, Holidays

Finger Pinchin’ French Fries!

June 25, 2016 by Amy Smith

This game is sure to motivate even the most unmotivated child!! Kids love games that incorporate food, especially really enticing food like french fries! This french fry game develops … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fine Motor Activities Tagged With: fine motor activities, hand stregthening, learning activities

Princess Counting Crowns

June 10, 2016 by Amy Smith

If your little one loves dressing up like a princess, then this is the activity for you! This princess counting crown combines the fine motor skills, eye-hand coordination, and visual … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fine Motor Activities Tagged With: fine motor activities, math skills, princess activity, toddlers

Top 10 Foods For Improving Fine Motor Skills

May 30, 2016 by Amy Smith

The ways to improve your child’s fine motor skills are really limitless, but finding methods that are both functional and motivating will yield the best results.   Using … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fine Motor Activities, Therapist's Tips Tagged With: fine motor activities, foods, hand strengthening

Boost Your Math and Fine Motor Skills with Lollipops!

May 7, 2016 by Amy Smith

Finally, you can feel good about giving your kids lollipops!  This adorable game turns an old pool noodle into a kid favorite: big lollipops! Not only will the appearance of the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fine Motor Activities Tagged With: fine motor activities, kids games

Fill Up Your Word Cup

May 5, 2016 by Amy Smith

Improve your child's reading and letter recognition and fine motor skills with this eye dropper game

Kids adore playing with water, especially colored water.  So, why not incorporate learning into something fun so that the kids will be motivated to play longer (translation to parents= … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fine Motor Activities, Handwriting Help Tagged With: fine motor activities, pincer grasp, preschool, water activities

Smart Sensory Squirrel

April 26, 2016 by Amy Smith

Improve your child's sensory experience along with academic learning concepts such as shapes, letters, or numbers with this smart sensory squirrel game. Your kids will love it!

Try making this adorable smart sensory squirrel with your child and let the learning experiences begin!   This activity is perfect for the busy mom, teacher, or therapist … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fine Motor Activities, Sensory Regulation Tagged With: fine motor activities, learning games, preschool, sensory activities, tactile activities

What did the Piggy Eat?

April 24, 2016 by Amy Smith

Develop social skills, sensory skills, and tactile discrimination skills with this fun piggy game for kids!

This sensory based game called "What did the piggy eat" is sure to be a hit in any home or classroom! Children love games built upon silly concepts and this game is sure to make your … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fine Motor Activities, Sensory Regulation Tagged With: fine motor activities, preschool, sensory activities, tactile activities

Why You Should Break Crayons (On Purpose)

April 5, 2016 by Amy Smith

Learn how to improve kid's pencil grasp through this simple tip about broken crayons. Try out this easy idea.

Have you ever heard your child say, "I'm not using that crayon, its broken!"? Maybe you agreed with the child and thought to yourself that it would be best to de-clutter the crayon box … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Handwriting Help, Therapist's Tips Tagged With: fine motor activities, handwriting, pencil grasp, pincer grasp

Smarter Fishing Game

April 2, 2016 by Amy Smith

This smarter fishing game that teaches academics like letters, numbers, shapes, or colors, and, gross motor & fine motor skills,, and social skills in a fun game for kids!

Want to try a new spin on this old classic? This version of the fishing game adds extra elements to foster academic learning, and motor skill development, with the same excitement that … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fine Motor Activities, Gross Motor Activities Tagged With: fine motor activities, gross motor activities, kids games

Smarter Pizza Game

March 30, 2016 by Amy Smith

This smarter pizza game develops fine motor and math skills as the child becomes a pizza baker and places various toppings on a felt pizza

This fun pizza game will keep your child's interest and attention while developing math and fine motor skills! The game is simple and inexpensive to prepare, yet durable enough to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fine Motor Activities Tagged With: fine motor activities, hand strengthening, learning

Improve Word Spacing Issues

March 21, 2016 by Amy Smith

Do you ever see your child's paper come home from school with all of the letters smashed together like one gigantic, run on word? Or are the letters and words stretched out really far … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Handwriting Help, Therapist's Tips Tagged With: fine motor activities, handwriting, visual motor skills, Visual perceptual skills

Sensory Tactile Boards

March 17, 2016 by Amy Smith

Learn how to make a sensory tactile board with various textures to help your child calm or soothe themselves

Sensory tactile boards provide a sensory experience for your child that may help to calm or soothe them when feeling anxious, or could arouse them when feeling sluggish through the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fine Motor Activities, Sensory Regulation, Therapist's Tips Tagged With: fine motor activities, sensory regulation activities

Turning Pages Made Easier

February 27, 2016 by Amy Smith

Simple tip on how to turn pages in a book easier. It's perfect for people with arthritis, cerebral palsy, hand weakness, and other special needs.

Is your child or student having difficulty manipulating their hands and fingers in order to separate and turn pages in books? Here is a valuable therapist's trick that is a cheap and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fine Motor Activities, Therapist's Tips Tagged With: fine motor activities, page turners, turning book pages, weak hands

Crazy Face Clothes Pin Game

February 25, 2016 by Amy Smith

Talk about getting a lot of bang for your buck! This game has several components to help foster your child’s development.  Squeezing clothes pins requires the child to use the thumb and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Fine Motor Activities Tagged With: fine motor activities, hand strengthening, pincer grasp

Welcome to Kids Play Smarter

Amy Smith I am an occupational therapist with over 10 years of experience working with children. I created this website to offer parents, teachers, and therapists FREE ideas, strategies, and activities that they can do with their children to improve their fine and gross motor skills, handwriting, academic learning, and regulate their sensory system all while "playing" (just playing smarter)! Read More…

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