Do you love the Rainbow Fish book? It’s one of my all-time favorite stories to read to my kids. When I’m looking for summer fine motor activities, the rainbow fish story and this Rainbow Fish Fine Motor Activity are always on the list.
In this activity, the kids are going to take the q-tips and place them into the holes on the Rainbow Fish’s scales. This simple posting activity helps toddlers and preschoolers to develop fine motor strength and hand-eye coordination. As well as practicing a bit of fun color matching too.
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More Summer Fine Motor Activities to try
Are you looking for more summer activities for kids? This Ice Transfer fine motor activity is one of the easiest summer play ideas that you’ll find. The kids love playing with the cold ice on a hot day.
Another really easy activity is this Sun Fine Motor Activity. It’s a great way to practice scissor cutting skills and takes 2 minutes to prepare.
However, when it comes to summer activities for kids at home, you can’t go past this Octopus Fine Motor Activity. It’s a fantastic busy bag that will teach toddlers and preschoolers essential life skills. If you need a busy bag for quiet time or when you’re traveling, this Octopus Busy Bag is exactly what you need.
For more ideas, read 15 Summer Fine Motor Activities for Kids
Materials Needed
- An empty cardboard box
- White paper
- Q-tips
- Paint
- Scissors
- Sharpie
How to Make this Rainbow Fish Fine Motor Activity
Step 1: Cover the cardboard box in white paper.
You can just paint the box with white paint. But I find this a messy and unnecessary step. Instead, just glue some printer paper down using mod podge.
2. Draw a rainbow fish onto the paper using a sharpie.
If it’s easier for you, swap step 1 and step 2 around. If you’re not comfortable drawing, you can always trace or print a picture of the rainbow fish onto your paper first, and then glue it down.
Related: FREE Rainbow Fish Printable Craft Page
Related: The Rainbow Fish: Fun Activities to Enjoy with your Preschooler – Fun With Mama
3. Make a small hole in each fish scale using scissors.
I prefer using a small screwdriver to make these holes because I love how they come out perfectly round. But of course, you can use whatever tools you have on hand or are comfortable using.
Related: The Ultimate List of Fine Motor Activities for Kids
4. Paint your fish and q-tips.
Make sure that the number of colored q-tips match the number of colored scales. For example, if you paint 4 scales red, make sure that you have 4 red q-tips to match them. That way this activity can be used as a color matching activity as well as a fine motor one.
5. Once the q-tip are dried, cut them in half.
I cut my q-tips in half after they are dry, because it is easier to balance them on my drying rack when they are whole.
This summer activity for kids is packed full of great learning opportunities. It will help to develop fine motor skills, vocabulary, and color matching skills. Toddlers and preschoolers will love trying this activity after reading the beloved Rainbow Fish story.
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Are you going to try this Rainbow Fish Fine Motor Activity this Summer?
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