Inside: fine motor activity for preschoolers

What do you do when your children love hot lava as much as they love snacks?

You make fine motor hot lava games, of course.

My boys love hot lava.

I find that it can sneak up into our living room, and also make it’s way into the cracks of the parking lot. Hot lava seems to be everywhere. And who knew? I am thinking that hot lava and kids seem to be this unspoken language that unites them all. Apparently, it’s a thing and I am determined to run with it.

RELATED: How fine motor games help pencil grip. READ IT HERE.

Fine motor games need tongs.

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Now typically we use these tongs from Learning Resources.

However funny stories about the ones shown in the picture.

It started with a quick trip to Bed Bath and Beyond with three children under 5. You know this is a lot like going to a toy store for parents. As my husband eyed up the waffle makers, the boys were memorized by these kitchen tongs. Makes sense. They can also be used as giant monsters that grab one another.

The trouble was that my 20 months old found it more exciting to use it as a teether. So here we were, ready to check out with a very drooled upon kitchen tong. Naturally, we had to purchase it, and naturally, it needed to be integrated into our fine motor play.

Sounds like a win for all.

RELATED: Bring Home the Bears and Rainbow Writing with Bears

So here we are.

New kitchen tongs, means more fine motor play.

And more lava talk, means the counting bears need to jump in and be saved.

The setup was so super simple.

Also, never underestimate the power of a google search. You can find plenty of volcanos when you search “volcano drawings for kids”. Use these images as a guide!

Materials:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quick and easy set up:

• Lay out your white paper roll. I like to use painters tape to hold it down.

• Use Google images as a guide, and draw a volcano plus hot lava.

• Add your counting bears to your hot lava.

• Offer your child the kitchen tongs and ask them to “Save the Bears!”

Remind your child that they cannot use their hands. – Because lava is super hot, of course. – such a simple and convincing buy-in. – Trust me!

Hot lava is such a hot topic! You can find another hot lava game here from Hands on as We Grow.

Once all of the counting bears had been collected from the hot lava, we took a look at the glass.

Conversation starters to extend:

• How many bears do you think you saved?

• Do you think you saved more green or yellow? Let’s see!

• What would happen if you had more bears to save? Do you think they would fit into this glass? Let’s add a couple more to see.

Remember, keep your preschooler’s temperament in mind. You may notice that this begins as a Breakfast Invitation, and then the extension happens after their nap.

Regardless of how it begins or ends, remember that you planted a seed. You offered an invitation to play that will over into their independent thinking and playtime at a later date.

Read The Power of Play and How to Take Back Childhood here for helpful tips on increasing independent play.

When will you set up this hot lava game?