Fine Motor Control « Shannon's Tot School

Origami for Kids: Simple Cat

Sweet Pea is 5 years old.

Prerequisite: Your child must be able to fold a sheet of paper and make a crease in it, which can be tricky for a for a small child. If your tot struggles with this, then start with something like Kumon Let’s Fold book.

Material:

A medium sized [...]

Do-a-Dot Numbers

Sweet Pea is 5 years old.

From: Here are the Do-A-Dot number pages! A long time ago, I created a set of uppercase Do-A-Dot letters and since then, many people have asked me to also create number ones. These Do-A-Dot sheets are tedious to make so it took me a while to get [...]

Using a Gravy Separator (and an Introduction to Density)

Gravy Separator (and introduction to the density of liquids) via Shannon's Tot School

Sweet Pea is 5 years old.

Intro: This is a super easy practical life lesson with a good dose of science. During the holidays, Sweet Pea saw my gravy separator and wanted to know what it was, so I set up this quick little activity for her on the spot.

Prerequisite: Your tot should [...]

Acorn Pumpkins

Sweet Pea is 5 years old.

From: These adorable acorn pumpkins were featured in Family Fun Magazine last year.

Material:

An oven. (Absolutely Critical!) Acorns (While you are at it, make sure collect some acorn caps for next week’s craft!) Orange and brown craft paint. Paint brush. A black fine point (but not ultra-fine) permanent marker. (I have [...]

DIY Braiding Box

Sweet Pea is 5 years old.

From: Lately, Sweet Pea has been very interested in braiding. There is a braiding board in her classroom at school that she often talks about which inspired me to create a version for her to use at home.

Material:

Cardboard box. Duct Tape. 3 Different colors of ribbon or [...]

Berry Basket Weaving

Sweet Pea is 5 years old.

From: I loved this beautiful strawberry basket weaving with yarn at Paint Cut Paste, and decided to try let Sweet Pea try an easier version with ribbon.

Material:

Berry basket. Ribbon. Scissors.

Procedure:

Wrap a piece of ribbon around the basket 2 times to [...]

Cooking with Kids: Banana Ice Cream

Sweet Pea is 5 years old.

From: I first saw this cool (ha!) and extremely healthy snack idea at The Kitchn.

Material:

Very ripe bananas. Cutting Board. Table knife. Small ziplock baggie. Milk (optional). A food processor, blender, magic bullet, etc. Toppings & Mix-Ins: 1/4 tsp vanilla extract, 2 TBS chocolate chips, 1 TBS cocoa powder, etc. [...]

Rain Painting

Sweet Pea is 5 years old.

From: A couple of years ago, I read about this project in one of MaryAnn Kohl’s fantastic art idea books (either First Art or Preschool Art). Almost immediately, I bought powdered tempura paint (which is a great low-cost paint option if your family does a lot of painting), but it took [...]

Origami for Kids: Simple Dog

Sweet Pea is 5 years old.

From: I am a bit of an origami nerd. I will often make an origami crane to amuse Sweet Pea and lately I have been showing her how to create her own animals.

Prerequisite: Your child must be able to fold a sheet of paper and [...]