Highlighter trace is a risk-free way to help preschoolers with fine motor skills!
Here’s my story of how preschooler highlighter trace came about.
If you give a mouse a cookie, he’ll probably ask for a glass of milk. (Laura Numeroff) Similarly, If you give a mom some time alone, she’ll probably buy something that wasn’t on her list.
Last week at the Office Depot Back to School Sale, that’s what happened to me.
I set out to stock up on book rings for the Breakfast Invitation Cards and returned with highlighters, markers, a stapler, and glue sticks. – Oh, my!
I have to say, office supplies suck me in probably more than a new pair of shoes. Perhaps because they are a little more budget-friendly? Nonetheless, here I was with a jumbo pack of highlighters, and I needed to find a way to use them.
So I did. I introduce you to highlighter trace.
RELATED: Fine motor strength improves with these 50+ fine motor skills activities.
The truth is, I’ve been itching to use highlighters with my boys.
Highlighters will help my three-year-old and four-year-old with their grip, but they will also zone in on paying attention to detail as they steady their hand along each curved and straight line. Remember when most popular Breakfast Invitations
The other truth is that I had reluctant writers.
I need to find additional ways to sneak in writing other than saying, Please write your name here. Check out Sticker Maze and Color Dot to Dot if this is the same for you.
So I started thinking. How can I get my boys to write curved and straight lines? And here you have it; Highlighter Trace for the win.
RELATED: You’ll probably also enjoy this write-up explaining the stages of writing development.
Here’s how I thought about what to draw for a highlighter trace.
What do my boys enjoy? – Books about space.
How can I sneak in a couple of numbers and letters to write? – Countdown and by writing S-P-A-C-E.
When is the perfect time to do this? – Breakfast Invitations
Supplies
RELATED: Thinking about pencil grip? Here are the ages and stages of pencil grip, plus great activities to improve!
How to set up this fine motor activity
Begin by thinking about something that naturally interests your child.
Try and draw it. – It helps to look at similar images as you draw on the internet. Here, I searched for easy rocketship drawing for kids.
Invite your preschooler to draw over the drawing using their highlighter.
That’s all! Improving fine motor strength one highlighting trace at a time!
