Toddler Activities: Chenille Straws - Fine Motor Skills Practice

By Tiffany Rudd

I saw this cute and simple activity on *pintrest a few weeks ago and just knew it would be a hit with Anniston. All you need are a few cheap supplies for a whole lot of fun and great fine motor skills practice!

SUPPLIES:

Colander

5-10 Chenille Straws

If you don't have any chenille straws (also known as pipe cleaners or chenille stems), click on the link above. Oriental Trading has a set of 100 for $3. 

INSTRUCTIONS:

Just sit your toddler down with the upside colander and the chenille straws. Show her how to poke the ends of the straws into the holes of the colander and then let her play! 

Anniston was entertained by this simple activity for 20 minutes, which is huge for a 19 month old. She had so much fun poking all of the straws into the holes and then pulling them all out again. It was fun to see her improve as she went too.

Just FYI:

Motor skills are motions carried out when the brain, nervous system, and muscles work together. Fine motor skills are small movements - like grabbing something with your thumb and forefinger - that use the small muscles in the fingers, toes, wrists, lips and tongue. Gross motor skills are the bigger movements - such as running and jumping - that use the large muscles in the arms, legs, torso, and feet.

*Unfortunately, I can't seem to find this activity on pintrest anymore, so I apologize for not being able to give the original creator credit.