- 10 - 15 mins
- Fine motor, hand-eye coordination, concentration
- Minimal mess
- Easy!
Playdough threading is so easy to set up and one that seems to be a go-to favourite in my house! Using minimal household resources your child will be set up for some really great learning. Quick set, minimal mess, inexpensive and adaptable! The sky really is the limit with this one, you’ll be amazed what you find in your kitchen to support this activity. Your child will engage in fine motor development, hand eye coordination and bilateral coordination all whilst being creative, exploring and learning through their senses. Put this one on the list and revisit it over, and over again!
What you will need
- Playdough
- Straws
- Rigatoni pasta
Activity steps
Setup
- Start by plopping a large amount of playdough on a table.
- Now, poke a bunch of straws into your playdough so that they are standing vertical. Your children can help with this!
- Give your child a small bowl of rigatoni pasta and let them thread the pasta onto the straws. For younger children you many need to demonstrate this skill set. For older children you might like to challenge them with smaller types of pasta.
Extension activity
- Try different types of pasta. I chose Rigatoni because they are large and something easily manipulated for my tiny one. But as she gets better, I may try different types of pasta that are smaller and require more concentration and skills to thread on.
- You could also try exploring different types of stick lengths and sizes to encourage different skill levels. Try using pencils, or fruit skewers, maybe even spaghetti.
- Add an element of colour and bring in colour recognition skills by colouring the pasta first. All you’ll need is food colouring and a zip lock bag!
- For older children you could provide a range of pasta and give them a pattern guide to follow. An important element of mathematical thinking!
Learning Outcomes
- Hand eye co-ordination
- Fine motor skills
- Bilteral coordination
- Expand concentration skills
- Feel a sense of achievement and accomplishment
Reference sites
We would like to acknowledge these amazing sites that have inspired us to create this activity. Thank you!