TURN YOUR TOILET PAPER TUBES INTO FINE MOTOR ACTIVITIES

The next time your paper towel or toilet paper tube is empty, don’t throw it away. Instead, you can use them for a few fine motor activities around your home. Here is what I did:

I bought colored duct tape and wrapped it around each tube. Then, I used a single hole puncher to punch holes all over each roll. 

Next, you will need a few pipe cleaners. You have two ways of doing this activity. 

​Option 1: You can insert the pipe cleaners and wrap the ends, then allow your toddler or preschooler to unwrap each. I would suggest cutting the pipe cleaners in half.

Option 2: Allow your toddler or preschooler to insert the pipe cleaners on their own. This second option helps to develop eye-hand coordination as your child tries to insert each pipe cleaner into the small holes. Whether you decide to use pipe cleaners or straws, it is a great way to develop this skill. If you're wonder what exactly is eye-hand coordination, it simply means your child's ability to focus on a task using their hands while being guided by their eyes.

Option 3: STEM Encourage your preschooler to connect all the tubes with the pipe cleaners. If you have plastic straws, you can also use those, too. Leave it open ended without specifying how it should look by saying, “I’d like to see you use the piper cleaners to connect all the tubes.” Or, provide a little guidance by saying, “I wonder how your structure will look with 3 tubes at the bottom, and two on top”. Use less tubes in the beginning depending on your child's age. If your child is unsure about how to start, go ahead and model how to connect two tubes, children learn best through visual models. The number of tubes can always be increased as your child is able to connect tubes with ease. This activity is meant to be fun and develop fine motor skills. Providing a difficult task in the beginning can frustrate the child, making it less likely to return to the activity in the future. Have fun with this and leave it in an area where your child can easily access the materials on his or her own.