Unlock Your Child’s Motor Skills with a Fun Montessori Activity: Prick a Shape

As parents, we always want our children to develop and improve their skills. One of the essential skills that children need to enhance is their motor skills. These skills are vital for their physical and cognitive development. Luckily, there are many fun and engaging activities out there that can help with this. In this blog, we will explore a Montessori activity that can help your child unlock their motor skills in a fun and exciting way. So, let’s dive in and see how this activity can benefit your child’s development.

Prick a Shape

Suitable Age: 3+

Materials: 

• A tray consisting of:
  • A piece of hard foam or cork or mouse pad (to be used for the base underneath the paper being used)
  • A sheet of paper (consisting of an outlined shape of a metal inset)
  • An oversized push pin (cork with a nail)

Direct Aim:

• To be able to prick a shape or any outlined diagram independently, and the three-finger grasp

Indirect Aim:

• Refined movement of the small muscles in the hands
• Concentration
• Hand-eye coordination
• Independence
• Fine motor skills

Presentation/ Child instruction: 

1. Once seated, invite the child to choose an outlined sheet of paper
2. Take the sheet of paper she chose and place it on top of the piece of cork
3. Slowly pick up the oversized pushpin, showing the child the three fingers used to hold the pushpin correctly and indicating that one end is sharp.
4. Now, begin to prick along the outlined shape of the piece of paper beginning at the top and moving clockwise (making sure to prick the holes as close as possible, this will allow the paper to tear more evenly at the end)
5. After you have completed about a quarter of the shape you may ask the child if she would like to try.
6. Once the child has finished pricking around the complete outlined shape, lift the sheet of paper off of the cork. Carefully show the child how to tear at the perforation (made by the pricking), slowly without ripping the sheet of paper.
7. Ask the child if she wishes to try to remove the shape.
8. Once the child has completed it, invite her to take it home or put it in her special box of belongings.

Point of interest:

• Pricking a shape, the tack, the feeling of the perforation, tearing around the outline of the shape, the color of the paper, and gluing the shapes

Control of Error: 

• Pricking off the line that has been outlined
• Moving the entire arm
• Non-completion of the activity
• Tearing the shape when removing it from the paper (holes not close enough)

>> Read more: Unlock Your Child’s Motor Skills with a Fun Montessori Activity: Hammering