Halloween Fine Motor Activities: Vampire Teeth

Looking for fun Halloween fine motor activities?  You’ve come to the right place!

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We’re all about using simple Halloween manipulatives to create fun and spooky activities for kids.  And we’re willing to bet that you’ve never thought of using this old classic Halloween prop for some Halloween fine motor fun!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

–Plastic vampire fangs
-Halloween sensory bin (e.g. dried black beans and plastic spiders) or craft items (spider rings, skeletons, etc.)
-Bowls or other containers

WHAT TO DO:

This one is super simple.  Set your little one up with the Halloween sensory bin, or a bowl full of Halloween craft items.  Set out another empty container on the table nearby.
See if your child can grasp the plastic vampire teeth with his Super Fingers, using them like tongs to pick up one of the Halloween items and transfer it to the empty container.  Repeat with as many of the objects as the child wants!

HOW TO CHANGE IT UP:

-Work on midline crossing by setting up your containers so that the child has to reach across his body to grasp the Halloween items with the fangs before placing them in the empty container.
-Work on object, shape, or color identification by requesting specific items for your child to grasp with the vampire teeth.  This also increases the fine motor and visual motor challenge, as the child has to dig around a little bit before grasping the correct item.

-Try setting out multiple empty containers and have your child sort the Halloween items, grasping them and transferring them with the vampire teeth (e.g. all of the pumpkins in one container, all of the spiders in another, etc.)

FOR VIRTUAL SESSIONS:

Have the parent or caregiver set out a handful of different items for the child to pick up using his vampire teeth.  Try providing different instructions – pick up the item that rhymes with “bat”, pick up 3 items that are red, pick up 2 items that begin with the letter R, etc.

SKILL AREAS ADDRESSED:

Fine motor skills, grasp, visual motor integration, visual perception, coordination

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Claire Heffron

Claire Heffron is co-author at The Inspired Treehouse and a pediatric occupational therapist in a preschool/primary school setting. She began her career with a bachelor's degree in magazine journalism but quickly changed course to pursue graduate studies in occupational therapy. She has been practicing therapy for 10 years in public and specialized preschool/primary school settings. She is a mom to three funny, noisy boys and relies on yoga, good food, and time outside to bring her back to center.

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