Activities and Worksheets
Ideas for games that develop motor skills, memory, logic, creativity, attention and concentration
Fine motor skills, concentration and attention can be developed through various exercises and games. Here are some ideas for playing at home or any other place if you have free time that you can use in a useful way.
Print the cards on a harder paper and always keep them close so that you can use them at any time. (For longevity, these cards can be laminated.)
Storytelling Pictures
Sometimes, when you want to spend meaningful time with your child, you find that all your creative ideas have suddenly disappeared. 'Storytelling Pictures' can be fun for you and your child on such occasions. You can play this game with younger children who can't yet write or read, but enjoy listening and telling stories. This activity helps to develop creativity and imagination and expand vocabulary.
Memory Cards
Print the memory cards on thicker paper and keep them handy for use at any time (the cards can be laminated for durability).
Place the card face up on the table in front of your child and leave it there for a few minutes so your child can identify and memorize all the pictures. Then turn the card over and ask your child to recall all the pictures shown on the card. Swap the cards to reduce the time it takes your child to remember.
Flashcards - What's missing here?
With these cards, children can playfully practice their visual perception, as well as concentration, perseverance, and attention. Visual perception is crucial for learning reading, writing, math, and all other skills important for school success. Print the pages and cut out the cards (for longer lifespan, these cards can be laminated before cutting).
There are always two cards—the first with several pictures, and the other with one of those pictures missing. Place the two cards on the table in front of the child and ask your child to name the missing picture. To make the game a little more challenging, start by placing only the first card in front of the child and then, after a while (when your child has recognized and memorized all the pictures), swap the first card for the second.
Matchstick Ideas
A game that helps children develop perception, concentration, attention, and hand-eye coordination—skills crucial for school success.
Print out the page, which can then serve as a template for laying out the matches.
Tangram / Developing Visual Concentration / Fine motor skills / Coordination
Blindfold Challenge: What Am I Touching?
Required materials: a box, small household items, or various objects from the environment.
Place some objects in the box (e.g., a spoon, a comb, a plastic cup, a pencil, a ruler, a coin, etc.). Place the box in front of the blindfolded child. The child then pulls the objects out of the box one by one and identifies which object he or she is holding by touch.
Possible questions:
- How many objects did the child identify?
- Can the child name all the objects by heart after taking them all out of the box?
- Can the child name all the objects in the exact order they were taken out of the box?
Note: Some children don't like wearing a blindfold because it makes them uncomfortable. In this case, you can play the game by cutting out one side of the box and covering the opening with a cloth. In this case, the child puts their hand into the box and tries to identify the object before pulling it out.
Other Activities
Your child will improve various fine motor skills in kindergarten. For example:
– Gluing things to paper
– Clapping hands
– Touching fingers
– Buttoning and unbuttoning
– Zipping
– Building a tower of 10 blocks
– Putting together puzzles with 12 or more pieces
These and other motor skills are best learned with a variety of materials, such as building blocks, colored pencils, safety scissors, coloring books, glue, play dough, construction paper, and more. Puzzles, sand play, and water toys are also good options. Opportunities for developing fine motor skills include marble games, finger games, Lego, iron-on beads, crafts (e.g., origami, beadwork), painting, finger puppets, and more.
Enjoy your time with your child and remember: having fun is the most important thing.
