It’s time for more fall fun with these Scarecrow Theme Ideas! This is a FREE mini pack with activities to address fine motor skills, cutting skills, AND writing activities.
In this post, we will talk about ALL the fine motor activities that can be completed with just one fine motor worksheet. Next, we will look at scissor skills. In addition, a printable for shape matching practice is provided! Then we will move to handwriting activities for kids. This activity will help improve handwriting skills by addressing letter formation, letter size, and letters sitting on the line. Finally, we will look at how these activities can be combined with a Gross Motor Activity and why!
This is a FREE 6 Page Downloadable PDF. Click HERE to access the FREEBIE LIBRARY!
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Let’s Get Started With One of Our Scarecrow Theme Ideas:
Scarecrow Fine Motor Activities!
Working on fine motor skills helps with coordination, hand strength, finger strength, in-hand manipulation skills, scanning, crossing midline, and so much more! This one fine motor printable has a TON of options!
For instance, the 15 circles on this worksheet can be used a variety of ways! Certainly, you can make the activity more challenging depending on what you use and how you set up the task!
Examples of Fine Motor Activities:
- BUTTONS: Spreading the buttons on the table works on scanning, crossing midline, and pinch/grasp. Coordination is needed to place them in the circles. Having the child hold the buttons in his/her hand increases the difficulty of the task and works on in-hand manipulation skills. For example, the child has to work the buttons from the palm to the tips of the fingers before placing on the circles.
- PENNIES: All the above is the same for pennies. However, an added twist or challenge would be asking the child to only place the pennies heads up. Then, see how fast they can flip the 15 pennies over to tails.
- TONGS and POMS: Transferring items with tongs is such a great activity to improve cutting skills! Smaller poms make it more challenging!
- STAMPS: The stamp size I used in the picture is here. Stamping can help with a tripod grasp, eye-hand coordination needed to place the stamp in the circle, and strength required to push down the stamp to leave a mark.
- PLAY DOUGH: First, pinch small pieces of play dough, then roll them into balls, place them on the circles, and finally smash the play dough with an index finger.
- STICKERS: I use these sticker labels A LOT. Stickers are a great activity to help with coordination! Want to add color matching to the task? Place stickers on the paper first and then have the child place the matching color on top!
- REINFORCEMENT STICKERS: These stickers are used just as described in #6. However, there’s an added pencil control activity! Have the child trace on top of the sticker with a pencil!
- OTHER IDEAS: Color in the circles with crayons OR use daubers!
Next on our Scarecrow Theme Ideas list is CUTTING ACTIVITIES!
In this mini packet, you will have access to the developmental progression of cutting skills! Being able to cut shapes is considered an important cutting skill for children! On page 4 of this packet, the child will be able to practice cutting shapes like a circle, square, triangle, and pentagon. In addition, you have an added bonus activity on page 5.
1. Shape Matching Activity! The child first practices cutting shapes on page 4 and then pastes them to the matching shape on page 5.
2. Seeing the shapes pasted on page 5 provides us adults with an idea of how well the child cut on the lines. We typically say a child has mastered cutting a shape when they deviate 1/4″ or less from the lines.
Moving Right Along with our Scarecrow Theme is WRITING ACTIVITIES!
So, it’s time to actually DO some Scarecrow Writing Activities!
A developmental guide for the progression of writing skills is provided in the pack!
On the handwriting printable, the child will be asked to copy a simple 5 word sentence. Boxed boundaries are provided to assist with letters size. There’s a thick baseline to encourage letters sitting on the lines. Proper letter formation should also be encouraged as well as a proper grip on the writing utensil. If your child struggles with a proper grasp and you’re looking for a pencil grip, one of my all time favorites is the claw grip! Make sure you get the appropriate size for your child.
Lastly, on our Scarecrow Theme Ideas list is GROSS MOTOR SKILLS!
Why are we looking at Gross Motor Skills on a fine motor website?? Great question! 🙂
Gross motor skills help develop strength, coordination, and core stability in our larger muscle groups. Our larger muscles help provide the support and stability needed for us to use our smaller muscles. In other words, gross motor skills support fine motor skills! In addition, gross motor movements also work on skills like crossing midline, which is important for developing a dominant hand and writing. The 10 motor movements children are asked to imitate in the poem also help warm-up muscles, increase body awareness, and prepare their bodies for work.
Check out the Scarecrow Scarecrow Gross Motor Movement Poem that goes right along with this FREE Mini Pack!
If you are looking at completing all 4 activities, I would go in this order:
- Gross Motor Movement Poem
- Fine Motor Activities
- Cutting Activities
- Writing Activities
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This is a 6 Page digital Downloadable PDF. No Physical Items will be shipped.
