If you have young children and are currently working from home, you know that keeping a toddler or little kids entertained while working can be quite the challenge. Having some easy go-to activities that parents can quickly set up with simple, recycled household items can buy you some extra time to get work done while allowing your child to engage in meaningful fine motor and educational tasks.
Grandview Kids Occupational Therapist, Evelyn, teamed up with a teacher friend to come up with fine motor and educational activities that you can do – no fancy tools or equipment required!
Prep time to set up all of these activities is between 10-15 minutes per activity. Hopefully, these will give you some ideas for activities to do with your little ones while at home!
![Card Drop
Materials: Oats/yogurt container (cut slit at the top), deck of cards
Fine motor: Pincer grasp development, grading-drop and release, eye-hand coordination and dexterity
Education: Counting, sorting by suit](https://grandviewkids.ca/wp-content/uploads/card-drop.jpeg)
![Sensory Play: Car Wash
Materials: Bucket with water/soap bubbles, brush, cars (or any other small toys)
Fine motor: Sensory water play, bilateral upper extremity coordination.
Educational: Counting, science concepts](https://grandviewkids.ca/wp-content/uploads/car-wash.jpeg)
![Cheerio Drop
Materials: Baking sheet, play-doh, skewer, Cheerios
Fine motor: Pincer grasp development, eye-hand coordination and dexterity.
Educational: Counting](https://grandviewkids.ca/wp-content/uploads/cherio-drop.jpeg)
![Chip Drop
Materials: Oats/yogurt container (cut small slit on top), connect 4 pieces or coins
Fine motor: In hand manipulation skills, pincer grasp development, eye-hand coordination, dexterity, purposeful drop and release.
Educational: Counting, sorting by colour](https://grandviewkids.ca/wp-content/uploads/chip-drop.jpeg)
![Cookie Sheet Letters:
Materials: Magnetic letters, baking cookie sheet
Fine motor: Wrist extension, upper extremity strengthening.
Educational: Letter identification, letter sequencing.](https://grandviewkids.ca/wp-content/uploads/cookie-sheet.jpeg)
![Hide the Toys
Materials: Muffin tin, rice/beans/barley, small toy (dinos from dollar store), shovel or scoop.
Fine motor: Sensory play and tool use, scoop/pour - pronation/supination, crossing midline.
Educational: Sorting, fractions (1/2 full), matching](https://grandviewkids.ca/wp-content/uploads/hide-the-toys.jpeg)
![Letter Scavenger Hunt:
Materials: Magnetic or foam letters, painters' tape (tape letters on walls around house)
Fine moror: Upper extremity strengthening, pincer grasp development, hand strengthening.
Educational: Sorting by colour, letter identification, letter sequencing, following instructions - "Find the letter A," etc.](https://grandviewkids.ca/wp-content/uploads/letter-hunt.jpeg)
![Pom-pom Sort
Materials: Pom-poms, egg carton, kitchen tongs.
Fine motor: Too use (tongs), hand strengthening, grasp development.
Educational: Colour sorting and matching, counting](https://grandviewkids.ca/wp-content/uploads/pom-pom.jpeg)
![Sticker Sort
Materials: Coloured construction paper, dot stickers
Fine motor: Pincer grasp development, upper extremity strengthening, crossing midline
Educational: Matching, sorting by colour](https://grandviewkids.ca/wp-content/uploads/sticker-sort.jpeg)
![Straw Drop
Materials: Bottle with small opening (water bottle), straws cut into 1-2'' pieces
Fine motor: Eye-hand coordination, dexterity, pincer grasp development
Educational: Counting](https://grandviewkids.ca/wp-content/uploads/straw-drop.jpeg)
Most importantly, have fun and enjoy the extra time with your children.
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