What is a simple fine motor skills activity using beads? Your kids will love this crazy rainbow hair bead activity!
Fine motor skills activities don’t just have to involve pencils or scissors, threading beads are great for kids because they love playing with them and you can use different sizes of beads to promote different sizes of grasps.
This post shares how you can quickly set up this easy Crazy Rainbow Hair fine motor skills activity!
RELATED: Need more simple fine motor skills ideas? These easy fine motor sensory bins are our favorite.
What materials do you need for this fine motor activity?
- Piece of cardboard
- Scissors
- Sharpie
- Pony beads
- Pipe cleaners
- Hole puncher
How to set up this fine motor skills activity:
Start by cutting a piece of cardboard into a big circle.
Next, use a Sharpie to add a face.
Then, make a few hole punches at the top of the cardboard head.
Finally, stick a pipe cleaner through each hole and twist them to secure them. Trim the pipe cleaners to the length you want.
Once the rainbow haired person is created, you’re ready to pull out your beads and start sorting!
How can you adapt this for younger kids?
Worried your young toddler might try and put the beads in their mouth? One thing to remember is that adult supervision is required for ALL Toddler Approved activities. Any fine motor skills activity with beads requires supervision.
I’ve had five year olds put inappropriate things up their noses (or try to eat them) and two year olds be totally fine with small beads and then the opposite be true as well! Each child is different. Worry less about your child’s age and more about the stage they are in as you decide which activities might work. Either way, stay nearby and always supervise.
If your child is not ready for pony beads, you can buy larger beads or you can use an edible beading item like colorful Cheerios or Fruit Loops.
How can I make this harder for my child?
Is your child able to thread pony beads successfully already? Are they ready for more of a challenge? Try the following extension ideas to expand this activity.
- Use smaller beads to work on a different grasp and make it more challenging.
- Try making color patterns instead of just sorting by color.
- Teach your child about different types of patterns (ABA, ABBA, etc) and see what more complex patterns they can come up with.
- Add in some counting or addition practice. Invite your child to put a certain number of beads on each pipe cleaner, or give them a number sentence. For example, “On the red pipe cleaner, can you show me 2+4 with red beads?”
These everyday fine motor activities from No Time for Flashcards are awesome to try too!
RELATED: Do you love color activities? Try some of these fun color themed activities.
Do you have any other favorite fine motor skills activities with beads that your kids love? Share them below!