This activity strengthens fine motor skills as the child manipulates plastic cards with his fingers and inserts them into a slot. This activity also encourages hand-eye coordination and dexterity.
Learning Area(s): Physical Development
MATERIALS
- Old oatmeal container (or similarly sized container)
- Utility knife
- Deck of cards (e.g., playing cards, flash cards, cards from board games)
LET'S PLAY
Before beginning, use the utility knife to cut a slot into the lid of the oatmeal container, slightly bigger than the width of the playing cards.
Invite your child to play this game by taking a card and showing him how to insert one card into the container at a time. Then, hand a card to your child and encourage him to insert the card into the container slot himself. If your child is struggling to fit the card into the slot, place your hand gently over your child’s hand and guide his hand as you fit the card into the slot. Once your child understands how to insert cards one at a time, he can keep going by himself with your encouragement. Continue as long as your child is interested (a whole deck of cards may be more than he wants to do). You can make this game playful by talking about what is on each card before your child inserts it, and by opening up the container to see the cards inside after your child has inserted lots of cards.
TIPS
- You can work on your child’s counting skills by counting the cards together as they each drop into the slot.
- Some children may need a larger or thicker object, like poker chips or plastic container lids, that are easier to fit into the slot, or you may need to make the slot larger to make it easier for your child to insert cards.
- Remember that young children are still learning to use their hands and fingers skillfully. If your child feels frustrated and gives up easily, you might keep him interested by taking turns back and forth inserting the cards, cheering for your child each time he inserts a card, or “peeking” into the container to find where the cards went.
- You can also try dropping pom poms or cotton balls into a larger hole cut in the center of an oatmeal container lid.