The best way to introduce a concept so that kids will really learn it? Make it hands-on! Using manipulatives is the perfect way to get (and keep) kids’ attention for activities that require repetition and practice, like learning to spell their names and learning to sequence numbers. This cute fine motor Easter activity covers a lot of bases: fine motor skills, visual perceptual skills, visual motor skills and more!
WHAT YOU’LL NEED: Boiled eggs, magazines, scissors, Mod Podge, paintbrush, egg carton
WHAT TO DO:
First, go ahead and get creative, having your child dye or paint his Easter eggs however he wishes. While the eggs dry, you’ll go on a little magazine treasure hunt, flipping through magazines with your child to find the letters of his name. This is great for visual skills like figure ground perception, visual discrimination, and tracking. When he finds one of the letters, have him rip the page out. Continue until you have all of the letters of his name. Next, he’ll cut each letter out of the page (you can draw lines around them if it helps with accuracy). When you have all the letter you need, show your child how to stick each letter to its own egg using the Mod Podge and a paint brush. Let the eggs dry for several minutes – but don’t get rid of that egg carton! When the eggs have dried, mix them up and place them in the egg carton. Have your child rearrange the eggs into the correct sequence, spelling his name.
HOW TO CHANGE IT UP:
-Create these eggs with a group of children and then mix them all together in the middle of the table. This increases the visual challenge, as children have to identify the letters of their names among many competing visual targets.
-Try this same activity for other concepts, like sequencing numbers 1-12, sequencing the numbers of the child’s phone number, or even sequencing the letters of the whole alphabet!
SKILL AREAS ADDRESSED: Visual perceptual skills, bilateral coordination, cognitive skills, coordination, fine motor skills, grasp, visual motor integration
