Make the simplest little fine motor activity for toddlers with this pom pom scoop and transfer game! Easy and quick to set up and play, with lots of fun and learning thrown into the mix.

This is one of our simple Invitation to Play ideas which are very cheap and easy to set up and tend to appeal to a range of ages because they are very tactile and fun to play with!

Pom pom scoop and transfer game:

For this little toddler fine motor activity we simply set out an ice cube tray, some colourful sparkly pom poms and a 1tsp measuring spoon, which is the perfect size for teeny hands!

This is an activity we actually did last year, hence why (currently Miss 3) looks so little! She was nearly probably 2 at the time and absolutely loved all activities which involved transferring items from one container to another, as many toddlers often do. She was also already very keen on these particular colours and so they were chosen just to appeal to her. It could also look lovely with rainbow colours and an added element of sorting and matching could naturally develop in that set up perhaps.

Even though simple to us, the concentration and motor skill development necessary in order to select, scoop and then transfer the small pom poms from an open container to a smaller space is quite a challenge for toddler hands. Persevering with filling up the whole tray is another skill and requires some time and diligence!

As they fill each empty space they are also learning the building blocks of 1 to 1 correspondence, i.e. that one objects fits into one place. The next step for an older preschooler would be to actually count these as they go along, thus sealing the understanding that they are increasing one more each time.

After the spaces are all filled up it’s lots of fun to tip it all out (especially when it’s all over the room!) and start again! 

Older children can count, sort by colour and even start to use the pom poms to make patterns too!

Follow their lead and answer questions as they play.

What they are learning as they play:

physical: fine motor control and co-ordination, using small tools, hand:eye co-ordination, exploring textures

maths: 1:1 correspondence,  counting, sorting by colour

See all our other FINE MOTOR SKILLS activites

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