Do you have a list of go-to activities for classroom learning in January? I know I do! January can sometimes be a tricky month in the classroom, but with engaging fine motor activities, it doesn’t have to be! Check out my list of favorites to keep engagement high, target fine motor skills, and brush up on math and literacy concepts in the primary classroom!
Planning January Fine Motor Activities
When it comes to planning engaging lessons for January, I am all about fine motor activities! We all know that when students return from winter break it can take a couple of weeks to get back into the normal groove. One of the best ways to support learning and help students get back on track is by using hands-on learning centers. These types of activities appeal to primary learners since they use fun manipulatives and tactile materials.
Aside from the engagement factor, these types of games also help to strengthen fine motor skills, something many kindergarten and first-grade students need to work on. For the first few weeks back after break, I make sure to weave in plenty of fun fine motor activities into our center rotations. This helps everyone brush up on important skills and have fun doing it too! If you need some inspiration for your lesson plan, here’s 5 ideas to get you started!
1. Pattern Block Games
My kids love using Pattern Blocks so I tried to find a fun way that my students could use pattern blocks and still have some extra learning tied in. I came up with a couple of different options that have students using them in a fun way. The first option is called Winter Roll and Match. In this activity, students will use dice to roll a pattern block. After rolling, they check their mat to find the correct shape and place it on their mat. They repeat this until the mat is full. Finally, they count how many of each shape was used.
The second option is called Winter Spin and Match. It’s played the same way except instead of rolling dice, students will spin a spinner. I like to laminate these mats and store them in a bin with a bucket of pattern blocks. I can use the bin throughout the month of January for an instant center option, morning work activity, or option for my fast-finishers. My kids LOVE the winter shapes on each mat too. Both options also include black and white page options that can be used with crayons for a no-prep activity as well!
2. Snap Cube Games
What kid doesn’t love using snap cubes! My kids love using these in math centers, so they make a great tool for our fine motor activities in January. Our favorite snap cube games focus on graphing and tens frames – two important math skills for primary students.
To use the Roll and Snap Tens Frames activity, students will roll dice to complete the mystery winter picture! They do this by rolling dice and then placing a snap cube on their mat according the code on the side of the page. As they roll, they will keep track of how many they roll for each color by coloring a square on the tens frame recording sheet. This is such a great activity to use during math centers because students can be fully independent.
The second game we love is called Roll, Snap, and Graph. This game is similar to the first, except students will fill in a graph as they go instead of tens frames. Since students must use multiple steps to complete the activity, these games are so great for reining in attention and focus after the long holiday break!
3. Snap Cube Mats
I told you that we love snap cubes! I had to mention one more snap cube activity that is always a hit in our classroom. These Winter Snap Cube Center Mats are low-prep, fun for students, and target a variety of math and literacy skills. The idea behind each mat is to use the color on the side to place snap cubes down. There are pages for letter recognition, beginning sounds, number recognition, and subitizing dot patterns. Once students have placed cubes down on all the spaces, a fun winter picture is revealed!
These are a go-to morning tub activity in my room because they easily promote independence. Each mat follows the same familiar set of instructions, so once students have been taught to use these – they become pros! I love that we can target so many different skills with these fun winter snap cube mats!
4. Pom-Pom Fine Motor Activities
Pom-Poms are another great, and inexpensive tool you can use in your fine motor activities. They’re also easy to find in a variety of fun colors, so that’s a bonus too! I like to use them with these Winter Pom-Pom Math and Literacy Center Mats. These mats are set up the same way as the Snap Cube Mats I mentioned above, but the students will use colored pom-poms to fill them in.
I especially like to use these fine motor activities during center time because pom-poms are a very quiet manipulative. As students dig through the bucket of pom-poms to find the color they’re looking for, you won’t hear a sound! This is great if you’re working at a table with guided reading groups and need the classroom to be a bit more quiet!
5. Shape Games
Last on this round-up for January fine motor activities, I’ve got some Winter Shape Games I know you’ll love! This resource is jam-packed with tons of fun games and activities that all have a winter theme. Inside you’ll find 13 different games that focus on 2D shapes through engaging fine motor activities and games. Here are some of my favorites:
- BUMP
- Dominoes
- BINGO
- Spin & Color
- Puzzle Cards and more!
These fine motor activities are perfect for January as we’re easing back into our school routine. My kids have so much fun with these games, they don’t even realize they’re learning! That’s a win in my book! I like to use these games in a variety of ways including partner games, small group games, center time activities, and fast-finisher options. I prep them once and they’re ready to use all month long.
How to Get the Most Use with These Fine Motor Activities
These are some of my favorite fine motor activities for January. I hope you found something fun to try in your room! My recommendation to get the most use out of these activities is to laminate the game mats and store them in a basket or bin with all of the materials needed to use. You can add a bucket of manipulatives, copies of any recording sheets, pencils, and crayons. Then, keep all the bins stored on a shelf, so you can easily access them.
This system works really well for me when planning week centers, or anytime I need a quick and easy activity for my students to work on. Since the mats are laminated, we can use them again and again! Don’t forget, you can find all of the fun fine motor activities mentioned here in my TPT shop, along with many more!
Looking for More January Learning Ideas?
Fine motor activities are just the beginning! Check out the posts below for more ideas to use in your classroom in January.
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