The laundry had piled up. All the pants with elastic waists were in the dirty clothes, so I grabbed the lone pair of hand-me-down blue jeans my son has and helped him put them on.
It wasn’t until he had to use the restroom that I realized my mistake.
He couldn’t undo the fastener.
Mom fail.
You see, my son just doesn’t have those fine motor skills yet.
Fine motor skills are something lots of kids need help with. This week we did a simple Thanksgiving craft to help strengthen those fine motor skills.
This preschool Turkey craft is perfect for working on fine motor skills.
Turkey Craft
Materials Needed:
- Paper Plate
- Craft Glue
- Paintbrush
- Pen or Pencil
- Variety of Dried Beans, Pasta, or Colored Rice
A variety of dried beans, split peas, pasta, and even rice (we used rainbow rice) will give your child plenty of choices and colors to craft with. A paper plate makes a nice palette to display all the dried beans, etc.
Keep in mind that spills can happen. You will want to wait to sweep the floor until after craft time.
If you really want to keep the mess down, have children sit on a plastic tablecloth on the floor for this Thanksgiving craft. You can easily pick up the cloth afterwards and shake the mess into the trash.
Use a pen or pencil to trace each child’s hand on the center of a paper plate. Paper plates are stronger than regular paper, which tends to be too flimsy for the weight of all the dried beans once the craft dries.
Use paintbrushes to apply craft glue inside the hand print. You will need a thick layer to keep beans in place.
Have your child choose from the dried beans and pasta to decorate their hand print turkey.
Picking up each bean and placing it onto the hand print is great for building those fine motor skills. Those fine motor skills are important when it comes to hand writing, buttoning clothes, and turning pages in a book.
Once your child is finished decorating their turkey, they can add a googly eye and use markers to add a beak, waddle, and legs.
Be sure to let it dry completely before hanging it up to display.
I have been trying to incorporate more fine motor skills activities, like this preschool turkey craft, into our day. After all, I won’t always be there to help unfasten those stubborn buttons on a pair of blue jeans.
Other posts you might like:
Updated post. Originally published November 17, 2015.
Ginny Marie says
What a cute turkey! I pinned it to my preschool board. We are constantly working on fine motor skills at our preschool, too!
OneMommy says
Those fine motor skills are so important. 🙂
Thanks for pinning!
Maria says
What a festive way to get kids involve and also hone their fine motor skills. I love the fact that the all the materials are found in our cupboard. It’s an absolutely perfect activity for the little ones!
It was lovely to see you on #SHINEbloghop this week. Thanks for sharing this craft with us 🙂
Have a great weekend 🙂
OneMommy says
I was blessed by my sister giving us her half used bags of beans when we went to visit this past October. Perfect for crafting!
ilka says
This really is a great craft idea to train motor skills. I love the material! Pinned:)
OneMommy says
They had so much fun with it, they decided to make more pictures with the beans when the turkeys were finished. 🙂 Thanks for pinning!
Jessica says
My kids would love this! Thanks for sharing!!
Emma @ P is for Preschooler says
It’s so easy to forget how often fine motor skills are used in a day! This is a cute way to practice those important skills. Thanks for sharing at the Thoughtful Spot!