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What Are Classroom Centers?
In most preschool, primary, and elementary classrooms, at some point during the day, you’ll find some version of “center time”.
Centers are stations that are set up in different areas around the classroom, each with an activity to target a different academic or other skill (e.g. literacy, handwriting, math). Students are divided into small groups to work in the centers either independently while the teacher works with another small group or with the teacher circulating between the activity stations.
Often, teachers have students rotate between the stations so they are at a different center each day of the week and the activities are typically changed out frequently to keep them fresh.
Why Are Classroom Centers Important?
Classroom centers are an awesome way for kids to show what they can do independently. Working in a small group like this requires more than just an understanding of an academic skill. It requires self-regulation, attention, and social skills.
Center time provides the teacher with an opportunity to work with smaller groups of students at a time as he or she runs one center or circulates throughout the classroom to support students as they work.
Classroom activity stations offer kids an extra chance to practice previously introduced concepts in a more hands-on way, which is great for developing solid understanding and memory.
For therapists, classroom centers are an ideal time to offer push-in services, where they can deliver therapy sessions to the students on their caseload right inside the classroom, alongside their peers.
100 Fine Motor & Gross Motor Classroom Center Activities
If you’re a therapist looking to get inspired with some awesome push-in therapy activities…
If you’re a teacher who knows how important those foundation fine motor and gross motor activities are to ensure overall success in the classroom…
If you’re a parent looking for some fun rainy day activities to try with your kiddos at home…
These are the activities for you!
If you’re a therapist, one of our favorite push-in therapy activities is to use these centers for your direct therapy session and then leave the center behind for the classroom to continue using until the following week (the teacher will love you because they’ll have one less center to create!).
We’ve also used the sensory table in the preschool or kindergarten classroom as a way to keep manipulatives and small pieces in one place while we work. Leave the activity behind when you move on to your next session and the teacher can uncover some fine motor fun throughout the week when you’re gone!
50 Fine Motor Classroom Center Ideas
1 || Monster Munch Fine Motor Game
Such a fun and easy fine motor setup from Lalymom!
2 || Vehicle Cutting Activity for Kids
This one is always a hit for working on cutting on straight lines with kids!
3 || Crazy Straw Fine Motor Activity
Super easy, super fun. Our favorite kind of activity! From Powerful Mothering.
4 || Hand Strengthening Toys
Grab a few of these toys and you’ll be building hand strength in no time!
5 || Activities for Teaching Kids How to Use Glue [FREE PRINTABLE]
These free printable pages are perfect for helping kids practice how to squeeze and apply liquid glue.
6 || Cutting Kit Activities
Build your own cutting kit with these simple supplies!
7 || Dollar Store Geoboard
We created a fun and simple geoboard using a few cheap materials from the dollar store.
8 || Tape Mazes Cutting Activity
More fun scissors practice here – all you need is some tape and cardstock.
9 || Fine Motor Counting Tray
Work on counting AND build hand strength with this fun setup from And Next Comes L.
10 || Paint Samples and Hole Punches
Stop by the hardware store and pick up some free paint samples for this great hand strength and coordination activity.
11 || Hand Strengthening Activities
Tons of options here for easy hand strengthening activities that will keep kids entertained!
12 || Loom Band Mania!
If you have some of those mini loom band rubberbands lying around – you’ll want to try these fun fine motor and visual motor activities!
13 || Squigz
Every OT’s favorite! Try some of these squigz activities as a fine motor classroom center.
14 || Sticky Note Fine Motor/Visual Motor Art
An office supply turned fine motor tool! Kids will love using colorful sticky notes to create designs!
15 || Meet Me in the Middle Cutting Activity
This is a fun and creative cutting activity that has kids working as a team.
16 || Weaving Activity
Try some weaving to build fine motor coordination and bilateral hand skills! From Buggy and Buddy.
17 || Play Dough Kit
Build your own play dough kit to use as a fine motor classroom center! From Modern Parents Messy Kids.
18 || Tape Collage
Download these free tape collage templates and leave them as a classroom center with rolls of colorful tape!
19 || Ideas for Working on Vertical Surfaces
Vertical surface work is SO great for building all kinds of skills! Find some empty wall or markerboard space and try these ideas!
20 || Sewing Jars
These fun DIY sewing jars are a creative twist on lacing/sewing! From Teach Preschool.
21 || Partner Painting
Kids will love playing follow the leader with this fun group or partner activity!
22 || Button Snakes
When in doubt for what fine motor activity to try? Button snakes to the rescue! From Happy Hooligans.
23 || Learning How to Button Kit
More fun button practice here – create your own DIY Button Kit to leave in the classroom as a fine motor center!
24 || Occupational Therapy Apps for Kids
Not all screen time is a bad idea! These fine motor and visual motor apps can turn iPad time into skill-building time.
25 || Art Dice
Kids can create their own masterpieces using these Art Dice from Tinkerlab.
26 || Play Dough – Fun Ways to Play
Check out our favorite play dough activities here! Perfect for fine motor centers!
27 || Clothespin Feed the Bird Activity
How cute is this fine motor activity from Powerful Mothering?? The ideal spring season center activity.
28 || Felt Button Chain
Another fun and easy buttoning activity that targets coordination and bilateral hand skills! From Tips From a Typical Mom.
29 || Stickers and Marbles Activity
If you’re an OT, these are supplies you already have on hand! Use them to create this visual motor center activity.
30 || Plastic Canvas and Pipe Cleaners
Buggy and Buddy hit the fine motor jackpot with this fun center idea!
31 || Read, Build, Write Handwriting Mats
Check out these hands-on reading/writing mats from This Reading Mama. Such a great way to practice visual motor skills and letter sizing!
32 || Unifix Letter Cubes
33 || Storytelling Cubes
34 || Play Dough Mats
Play dough mats are always a good option for an open-ended fine motor play center. From Moms Who Think.
35 || Clip Card Activities
These phonics clip cards are another awesome option for practicing reading skills in a hands-on format! From This Reading Mama.
36 || I Spy Mats With Flat Sided Marbles
Kids will love this fun visual hide and seek activity with manipulatives. From You Clever Monkey.
37 || Lite Brite
38 || Printable Pompom Mats With Tongs
Add tongs to these printable pompom mats from Artsy Craftsy Mom for some hand strengthening fun!
39 || Teaching Kids How to Use Scissors
Try some of these ideas as a classroom center to build fine motor and visual motor skills.
40 || Therapy Games for Kids
Some of our top therapy games would make great classroom centers too!
41 || Feed the Tennis Ball
Cut a slit in the ball, draw a face, making the slit into the mouth. Roll dice, have kids feed the tennis ball the correct number of buttons, beads, or coins.
42 || Make Your Own Fidget Toys
Use center time to make DIY fidget toys – a great fine motor skill building activity that leaves kids with awesome sensory tools to use in the classroom!
43 || Educational Insights Playfoam Shape & Learn Alphabet Set
Put your play dough or play foam to good use with this cool set!
44 || Pattern Blocks and Boards
Another classic fine motor/visual motor activity that kids would love as a classroom fine motor center.
45 || Little Hands Picture Mosaic
Make your own one-of-a-kind mosaics with this cool kit.
46 || Adventure Puzzles (Highlights™ Sticker Hidden Pictures®)
These are some of our all-time favorite visual perception activities!
47 || The Sneaky Snacky Squirrel Game
Game play is a fun way to make classroom centers even more interactive.
48 || Wikki Stix Set
Practice letters, numbers, and shapes with this fun set!
49 || Pre-Handwriting Fine Motor Activities Fun Deck
Such a great way to practice all of the lines and shapes needed for handwriting!
50 || Doodle a Droodle Game
Another fun game option for classroom centers!
50 Gross Motor Classroom Center Ideas
1 || Card Games to Promote Movement
Try these card games as a gross motor center in the classroom or hallway.
2 || Baby Bumblebee
Make some of these squishy little guys and have kids use them to perform the movements as a movement center.
3 || Sticker Activities for Learning and Movement
Stickers are the perfect prop for movement fun!
4 || Streamer Activities for Kids
Try streamers as an easy gross motor center. Include cards or videos with instructions on how to use them.
5 || Scooter Activities for Kids
Teach kids how to use scooters to move in different ways as a gross motor classroom center.
6 || Zoom Ball Activities
Break kids into partners and try these fun zoom ball activities!
7 || Single Leg Stance Activities
Practice balance and coordination with these creative challenges.
8 || Fun Ways to Play in Quadruped
Try different games and activities in a new position to work on core strength and upper body strength.
9 || Balance Practice Activities
More fun balance challenges to make into a gross motor center.
10 || How to Use a Body Sock
Introduce a body sock to give kids deep pressure input and work on gross motor coordination.
11 || Simple Yoga Mat Activities
All you need is a yoga mat for these easy gross motor center ideas.
12 || Barnyard Buzzer Activities
Barnyard Buzzers are such a fun addition to any movement activity!
13 || 13 Ways to Play With a Foam Roller
Have you ever used a foam roller to encourage gross motor play? Try it at your next center time!
14 || Fish Sensory Motor Lesson Plan
All of the activities in this lesson plan would work for classroom motor centers with a fishy theme!
15 || Sensory Twister
Make your own sensory twister game for kids to play during centers time.
16 || Lego Gross Motor Activity
Try incorporating this childhood-favorite toy into gross motor play!
17 || Body Bridges
This activity will infuse your classroom centers with a dose of movement and creativity.
18 || Balance Activities Using a Foam Balance Pad
Do you have a foam balance pad? You can use it for lots of fun movement challenges during center time!
19 || The Core Strengthening Exercise Program
The scannable QR codes in this exercise program would be perfect for gross motor centers!
20 || The Core Strengthening Handbook
More core strengthening fun here!
21 || Gross Motor Apps
Use some screen time to get kid moving and learning!
22 || Balance Beam Learning Activities
Grab a balance beam or create your own with a piece of tape on the floor!
23 || Jumping Animals Activities
Kids will love jumping and learning with this active game.
24 || Movement Games Using Bubble Wrap
Try bubble wrap during your next classroom centers time!
25 || Feed the Frogs Movement Game
This is an oldie but a goodie! :)
26 || Creative Core Exercises for Kids
These fun and creative props will make core strengthening a blast!
27 || Connect-a-Band Activties
Do you have a connect-a-band? Try it during your next gross motor center!
28 || Pumpkin Relay Race
Try this with a ball instead if it’s not pumpkin season!
29 || Gross Motor Activities Using Blocks
These hands-on manipulatives aren’t just for fine motor play!
30 || Crab Crossover Activity
This core strengthener is a fun challenge that kids can try during centers time with some beanbags.
31 || Mirror, Mirror Partner Movement Activity
Assign partners and see if kids can imitate each other’s movements!
32 || Wacky Relay Group Movement Game
This teamwork game will have kids moving and laughing while building coordination and strength.
33 || Partner Yoga – or try Snowga in the winter!
Yoga is always a great gross motor option for the classroom.
34 || Alphabet Yoga for Kids
Working on letter recognition? Move to learn with these fun cards!
35 || Bean Bag Gross Motor Fun
Tons of fun movement challenges with beanbags!
36 || Tire Run
Create your own simple obstacle courses with hula hoops!
37 || Fancy Footwork Left Right Game
Set up this fun game with visual prompts from Childhood 101.
38 || Animal Walks
Place animal cards out as prompts for kids to pretend to walk like different animals.
39 || Simon Says
This old classic is always a hit!
40 || Heavy Work for Small Spaces
If you’re short on space, but big on wiggles in your classroom – these activities are for you!
41 || Hulabaloo Game
One of our all-time favorite gross motor games! Perfect for centers time!
42 || Ready, Set, Move Classroom Activity Set
A fun and simple movement game for kids.
43 || Stepping Stones Game
Lots of creative ways to use stepping stones here!
44 || Therapy Ball Activities Fun Deck Cards
Not sure how to use your therapy ball to build gross motor skills? Try these cards!
45 || Kids Active Dice Set
Roll and move with this fun set!
Strike a pose with this easy yoga game for kids.
More therapy ball ideas for kids!
48 || Classroom Chores
Use centers time to have kids clean desks, sweep floors, wipe windows, marker boards, and other vertical surfaces!
49 || Go Noodle
These fun videos are a great way to get kids moving!
50 || Hand Clapping Games
Try some of these classic hand clapping games and songs to get kids working and moving together during centers.
Whew! It’s a big list, right? Don’t worry and don’t feel overwhelmed! This list is meant to make things easier not harder!
Simply pin this post (just hover over one of the images) or bookmark it for later so you can come back to it each week throughout the year to grab a quick fine motor or gross motor idea for your classroom center and/or push-in therapy session.
[…] If you’re a teacher, these hands on math activities would be awesome to try as an independent classroom center. […]