Support and strengthen fine motor skills with modeling clay activities. Preschoolers engage fine motor muscles in hands and fingers while squeezing, pressing and rolling the clay.
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Let’s strengthen fine motor skills with modeling clay!
Fine motor ability is essential for the development of handwriting skills, and is supported with activities that help strengthen and coordinate kids hands and fingers.
Modelling clay is firmer than regular play dough so more finger strength is required to squeeze and mold the clay. This effort contributes to developing hand muscles and coordination.
Find out more about the benefits of using clay for strengthening fine motor skills from Childhood 101.
UPDATE: Plastic straws like the ones used in this activity are not eco-friendly and no longer recommended for purchase. Use craft sticks, paper straws or reusable straws in the activity.
Strengthen fine motor skills with modeling clay
This is an open-ended activity, meaning kids can be creative with the materials and there is no expected product or outcome. The benefit to early learning is in the process.
Kids use fine motor skills for cutting, squeezing, and pressing the clay. They use math skills for rolling, sorting, and stacking the clay.
Kids can get creative to make everything from a tall tower to a bowl of soup.
Materials list
- straws
- scissors.
1. Compare lengths of straws and clay.
Option 1: Cut straws in various lengths. Roll out strips of clay to match the lengths of the straws.
Option 2: Arrange different straw lengths in a clay base from tallest to shortest.
2. Stack clay circles on straws.
Set straws into a clay base. Make circles with strips of clay.
Stack the clay circles on the straws.
3. Make pretend food.
Cut straws and clay into small pieces to make spaghetti or soup.
Use jar lids for plates, and laundry bottle tops as cups and bowls.
Modeling clay and straws activity
This activity provides fine motor and sensory play while encouraging creative and math skills. You can introduce modeling clay as a quiet time activity, or as an indoor activity on a rainy day.
Kids will be exercising muscles needed future handwriting and other developmental skills.
Let’s strengthen some fine skills today!
More play with clay!
Finger painting with clay from Best Toys 4 Toddlers
Clay and pipe cleaner spider from The Imagination Tree
Color mixing with clay from The Jenny Evolution
Build a nest with modeling clay from Powerful Mothering
Creating with modeling clay from Craftulate
Follow our Fine Motor board on Pinterest!