Last week after the kids went to bed, I was craving something sweet. As I rummaged through my cabinet in search of chocolate, I came across my basket of cookie cutters. As I stood there, I really got to thinking. These cookie cutters come in all sorts of fun shapes and sizes and are perfect for little hands to hold! Why had we not used these for more than just baking cookies? So what started as a personal sweet tooth mission became a fun and simple activity for kids. This cookie cutter kid tracing activity is a fun and simple activity for preschoolers that can help strengthen fine motor skills, creativity, and learning.
Cookie cutters can be used for more than just baking!
Stop just pulling out the cookie-baking supplies for special occasions and holidays. Cookie cutters are such a fantastic tool for creating more than just sweet treats. These fun baking items come in all different shapes, sizes, colors, and themes (from birthdays to holidays, to characters)!
I’ve got a few seasons and holidays in my mix and won’t overthink it. Pumpkins and mittens in May? Sure, why not.
Just in case you were thinking of downsizing your baking supplies during your next purge session, stop yourself! You may find that your new favorite tool for crafting, creating and learning for your toddler and preschooler the next time you’re stuck inside on a rainy day or sick day is just inside your pantry.
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How does this connect to learning?
This hands-on, play-based Breakfast Invitation relates to so many at-home learning skills. Using cookie cutters with your kids doesn’t mean flour is all over your kitchen ceiling and floor (and everywhere in between)! Incorporating cookie cutters to trace, color, and create is a wonderful tool for learning with young children.
Cookie cutter tracing and coloring will help your preschooler to:
- Develop shape awareness
- Practice for early counting and number learning
- Encourage independent play
- Improve pencil grip
- Introduce early geometry and math skills
- Practice pre-writing skills as they trace lines and curves
- Strengthen their fine motor skills
- Teach alphabet letter recognition
RELATED: Looking for more fine motor ideas for your preschooler? Check out our list of favorite simple and fun fine motor skills activities!
What happened as we did the activity?
I introduced the idea of this activity by telling my son he could trace the shapes of the cookie cutters.
We experimented with:
- Tracing along the inside of the shape
- Tracing along the outside of the shape
- Coloring the inside of the shape (with or without the cookie cutter)
- Setting up different shapes to create a picture to tell a story.
Once I set the basket of cookie cutters in front of my son, with some crayons and paper, he went right to playing and creating. What started as just picking and choosing shapes he liked to experiment with tracing turned into a full-blown artistic masterpiece.
My son was so excited about how his cookie-cutter art turned out! We showcased his one-of-a-kind piece by displaying it so he could proudly show it off to anyone who walked by.
RELATED: Wondering how to display your child’s artwork best? Learn how and why showcasing their art is so important!
Supply List
If you’re looking for a simple hands-on activity using only a few supplies that you already have at home, this is the one! This cookie cutter trace and color activity only uses a few items and art supplies that I can assure you already have right in your own kitchen.
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Cookie cutters
This giant set of cookie cutters has letters, numbers, and all kinds of fun shapes for kids to color and trace!
White Paper Roll
This paper is a staple in our home. Place it on the table or a verticle surface. So many uses!
Crayons
Let’s skip back to our childhood and think. Is there anything better than a fresh pack of markers? (I hope you channeled your nine-year-old self and said no)
Set up this cookie-cutter trace and color activity
Let’s set up this simple activity! This is the perfect easy activity to set on the table for your child if you are feeling exhausted, burned out, and ready for your morning (or mid-day coffee)!
- Tape the blank white (or any color) paper you have onto the table.
- Set out some crayons or markers.
- Set out your basket of cookie cutters
- Invite your child to trace, color, and create!
PRO TIP: If you have many cookie cutters, pick out 5-10 to set out for your preschooler to choose from. Less is usually more. This will ensure that your preschooler doesn’t feel overwhelmed, and there won’t be any big messes to pick up once your child is done. The next time your child asks to do the activity, select a different handful of cookie cutters for new fun!
Repurpose those cookie cutters for a fun activity!
Pulling out your basket of rarely used cookie cutters to repurpose for a simple hands-on learning activity is such a fun way to support and develop your child’s independent play and creative thinking skills! The next time you are scrambling to pull a quick activity together for your child, open your pantry and pull out your child’s new favorite art and learning tool: cookie cutters!
FAQ
There are so many simple ways to teach and develop your preschooler’s fine motor skills at home. Tracing and coloring is one of the most straightforward ways you can help to teach your child early pre-writing skills and develop a pencil grip.
A Breakfast Invitation is a play-based hands-on activity for preschoolers that encourages critical thinking, creativity, and independent play. Breakfast Invitations are simple to set up and require only a few items you already have at home.
Learning at home does not have to be expensive. Your home is filled with all sorts of everyday items that can be used to teach so many fundamental skills for toddlers and preschoolers.