Improving fine motor skills with chopsticks

Looking for some activities to improve your class’ fine motor skills? Selecting objects from one area and categorising them using chopsticks can help with improving fine motor skills as well as learning about identification and classification.

What you need…

• 2 Shallow (F1) Gratnells Trays
• Chopsticks
• Small craft items and different small objects from around the classroom, including but not limited to:
  • Pom poms
  • Corks
  • Wooden wheels
  • Coloured blocks
  • Craft eggs
  • Colourful animal toys
  • Small stacking blocks
  • Buttons
  • Coins
  • Bottle tops
  • Bells
  • Small sweets or candies
  • EDX Education maths manipulatives

What to do…

• Place a selection of the colourful objects and items into one of the trays and mix around so that the colours are randomised
• Set aside another tray to move the classified items into
• Chose a characteristic to base the categorising on. This could be colour, shape, size, etc.
• Once the characteristic is chosen, using the chopsticks, select the relevant items and move them from one tray to the other. This allows the children to practice their identification skills
• Encouraging the children to use their hands to make small movements is a great way to practice fine motor skills.

Health and Safety

As with all Gratnells What’s In My Tray Activities, you should carry out your own risk assessment and health & safety measurements prior to undertaking any of the activities with children.