Discover an easy, budget-friendly DIY activity to enhance fine motor skills for toddlers using an egg carton and pipe cleaners.

Boost Fine Motor Skills for Toddlers with This Inexpensive DIY Activity!

Finding engaging and educational activities for toddlers can be challenging, especially when you’re looking for something that won’t break the bank. This easy, budget-friendly DIY activity is designed to enhance fine motor skills for toddlers, using just an egg carton and pipe cleaners. Not only is it quick to set up, but it’s also a fantastic way to help your little one strengthen their hand and finger muscles, improve hand-eye coordination, and keep them happily occupied. Read on to learn how to create this fun and effective developmental tool at home.

All activities should be supervised by an adult. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links.

Budget-Friendly and Simple Tips for Parents

One of the best parts of this activity is that it’s incredibly budget-friendly, using items you likely already have at home. It takes just a few minutes to set up and can be reused multiple times, showcasing how simple, everyday items can be transformed into educational toys.

Always supervise your toddler during the activity to ensure their safety. Encourage and praise your child as they work through the task to keep them motivated. To add variety, try using different colors or shapes of pipe cleaners.

• Tongs
• Scissors

Step 1

Prepare the Egg Carton: Flip the egg carton upside down. Punch small holes in the back of each egg container – you can use the tip of a pen for this.

Step 2

Insert the Pipe Cleaners: Cut the pipe cleaners into small pieces. Insert each piece through the holes to create a loop, resembling a stitch.

Step 3

Set Up the Activity: Place the egg carton on a flat surface. Provide your toddler with the tongs to remove the pipe cleaners one by one.

Kickstart number recognition for toddlers with this beginner’s activity! Fill bubble outlines with pom poms for engaging hands-on learning.

Pom Pom Number Craft – The Perfect Way to Start Number Recognition for Toddlers

Introducing toddlers to the world of numbers can be fun filled with exploration and hands-on learning. As they transition into this educational phase, providing interactive activities tailored to their developmental stage is key to fostering a solid foundation in numeracy.

This fun pom pom activity is a great way to introduce number symbols to toddlers. By filling in each number with pom poms, this gives their brains more time to see the number, say the number, and have that number in front of them during the entire process.

All activities should be supervised by an adult. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links. 

Prep Time: 

• Marker
• Glue

Step 1

Draw a number on a piece of cardboard and then add some glue inside the lines.

Step 2

Have your child fill in the number by adding the pom poms on the glue. Please encourage them to stay in the lines to complete the number! (If you don’t have pom poms, you can use rice, pieces of paper – anything!) Keep in mind that depending on the size of the pom pom used, pom poms can be small parts which are choking hazards. Adult supervision is required. Consider using extra large pom poms.

This counting activity is a great way for kids to learn numbers! A DIY counting board is so easy to make and can be used time and time again! 

A Hands On Counting Activity

Working on numbers can feel like an uphill battle, but when you make it a hands on, playful experience, things get a little easier!

Kids love pom poms – they are bright, colorful, and fun! And they make the perfect loose parts for counting!

Plus, while they’re working on their numbers, they’re strengthening fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination too!

Pom poms can be small parts and choking hazards. Be sure to check the packaging and size of the pom poms you are using to ensure the safety of your kiddo! As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links.

Watch This Counting Activity in Action!

With a bowl of pom poms nearby, my kiddo, who had just turned 4 at the time, enjoyed picking up the pom poms and placing them on the counting board.

The board is a great representation of one to one correspondence. Kids are able to recognize the number figure and visually see how much that number represents. For example, the number 1 only requires 1 pom pom, and so on!

Tips for Creating This DIY Number Board

Save your cardboard! Cardboard is so much better than regular paper for an activity like this. It is durable and strong and will last! 

It doesn’t have to be fancy! We kept this DIY learning resource super simple. Pieces of cardboard glued onto cardboard and handwritten numbers! Easy peasy. Of course, you can make this as colorful and intricate as you like!

Use strong glue! Since you’ll want to use this over and over again, make sure you use a strong glue like hot glue or tacky glue so that the hole-punched pieces stay together!

Use age-appropriate loose parts! If your kiddo is under 3 or still puts small items in their mouth, be sure to use extra large pom poms or a taste-safe item like Cherrios to avoid any choking hazard risk.

• Marker
• Pom Poms
  

• Cardboard
• Hole Punch
• Glue
• Marker
• Pom Poms
  

Step 3

Glue the cardboard strips onto a larger piece of cardboard.

Step 4

Write out numbers 1-10 on the bottom.

Step 5

Provide loose parts, like pom poms, for kids to count with!

Step 1

Cut some strips of cardboard. You can vary the size or have them all the same size.

Step 2

Use a hole punch to make holes. You can make 10 holes on each of the pieces for a trickier board, or you can make 1 hole per number like we did.

Step 3

Glue the cardboard strips onto a larger piece of cardboard.

Step 4

Write out numbers 1-10 on the bottom.

Step 5

Provide loose parts, like pom poms, for kids to count with!

Beyond This Counting Activity

Math is used in everyday life so starting to teach kids how to count at a young age is a great skill to have! 

This counting activity, is a fun way to learn numbers, but you can start to integrate counting in everyday aspects of your life even in the baby stage. Count each step as you walk up or down! Count the number of cars you pass while going for a walk. And the list goes on!

For more early math activities, be sure to check out our comprehensive list of ideas as well as our printable section which is filled with fun worksheets to support all things related to early childhood education skills! 

This DIY shape matching game is a fun way for kids to learn shapes! Bonus points for making this so you don’t lose the puzzle pieces. The best part about this easy shape activity is that it is fast and simple to make. Keep reading to find out how!

A Shape Matching Game for On-the-Go!

This DIY shape matching game is extra practical because all the puzzle pieces are connected by a string. That means you can keep everything all together and not lose the pieces!

This makes for an easy item you can bring on-the-go whether for just playing in the car or even taking with you on a trip!

All activities should be supervised by an adult. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links.

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Printable Bundle All About Shapes! 

If your kiddo is learning shapes, you’ll want to check out this printable bundle, All About Shapes! With over 25 pages of activities, it explores a dozen different shapes. From learning to write shapes, to matching shapes, recognizing shapes in real world objects, and making a shape pizza this is just a few of the many unique opportunities to play and learn with shapes!

Watch the video to see how you can turn these worksheets into a reusable busy book!

For more printables check out our entire collection!

How to Make This Shape Matching Game

This shape matching game is really such a fast, affordable, and easy way to create a fun learning activity you can do at home or beyond. Yay for reusing cardboard for playful learning!

If you need help drawing the shapes, you can always trace real life objects!

By adding velcro stickers ,the shapes are able to hold firmly in place so your kiddo can move onto matching the next shape!

Plus, don’t forget to add the shapes to a string! This is the perfect way to ensure that the kids don’t lose any of the shapes in the process. This means that you’ll never have to worry about losing a piece of the puzzle, and have the flexibility of taking this game on the road!

• Paint Sticks
• String
• Velcro Circles

• Pieces of Cardboard
• Shapes to trace (or an excellent eye for hand drawing them!)
• Marker
• Paint Sticks
• String
• Velcro Circles

Step 4

Stick down velcro stickers on the board and on each puzzle piece.

Step 5

Attach the shapes to a string so that they don’t get lost.

Step 6

Let the kids have a blast matching the shapes. 

Step 1

Cut out shapes from a piece of cardboard.

Step 2

Color the shapes – a fun, bonus, art activity for kids!

Step 3

Trace the shapes on a sheet of cardboard – this will be your puzzle board.

Step 4

Stick down velcro stickers on the board and on each puzzle piece.

Step 5

Attach the shapes to a string so that they don’t get lost.

Step 6

Let the kids have a blast matching the shapes. 

The Educational Benefits of This Shape Matching Game

There are so many great ways to use this shape puzzle as a learning activity. The kids will not only be able to learn about their shapes, but they can also use this to work on their color skills and hand-eye coordination as well. 

One way to really build language development about shapes is to talk about them with your kiddo! Ask them which shape they are matching. If they don’t know the name, say it and have them repeat you!

What’s Next?

This shapes activity for kids is a great way to strengthen shape recognition! Make this puzzle yourself, or download our free printable!

A Shapes Activity for Kids with Over a Dozen Shapes!

This shapes activity is a fun and simple way to help kids understand and learn their shapes. Learning shapes at a young age is excellent for building a strong foundation in math skills and language development. Since everything in the world is made up of shapes, it’s an important topic to help your child grow. 

To play, kids have to match the shapes to the shapes on the train or the caboose. 

The great thing about this activity is you only need few simple supplies to create this fun shapes activity. If you’re running low on art supplies, check out our comprehensive art list for more ideas!

Short on time? We understand grown ups are busy, so we made a free printable version of this activity! Read on to get it!

How To Make and Play With This Shapes Train

This shapes activity for kids is a simple way to help them explore various shapes and also learn how to recognize specific shapes when they see them. This activity will also help them understand the correct names for the shapes as well.

Make sure to watch the video first to see how to make this simple Shapes Train. It will show you how easy it is to create and just how much fun the kids will have when playing with it.

A Train-Themed Way To Help Your Child Learn Shapes

This fun train activity is a great way to help your child learn about their shapes. It’s fun because it can focus on shapes and colors, and all on a fun train!

Older kids can help with this activity as well by helping to cut out the shapes and even draw or make the base of the train.

I set up this activity on a vertical surface. This isn’t necessary, but I often will do this because it has loads of benefits. By making activities eye-level, I’ve noticed how concentration and attention is much more focused, plus it’s great for strengthening arms and shoulder muscles!

All activities should be supervised by an adult. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links. 

• Tape
• Adhesive Paper
• Construction Paper

• Piece of Cardboard
• Shapes to trace (or an excellent eye for hand drawing them!)
• Pencil and Marker
• Tape
• Adhesive Paper
• Construction Paper

Step 4

Cover the cardboard with adhesive paper, sticky side up (or clear packing tape if you don’t have any!)

Step 5

On the edges, tape the adhesive paper down.

Step 6

On construction paper, trace and cut out each shape for matching!

Step 1

On a piece of cardboard, line up your shape pieces into train formation. You can use a rectangle and square to form the conductor!

Step 2

Trace them with a pencil (you don’t want to ruin your blocks with marks)!

Step 3

Once traced, use a marker to make it bold and add some train details like wheels!

Step 4

Cover the cardboard with adhesive paper, sticky side up (or clear packing tape if you don’t have any!)

Step 5

On the edges, tape the adhesive paper down.

Step 6

On construction paper, trace and cut out each shape for matching!

Printables Shapes Activities for Kids!

Don’t have time to create this DIY game? No problem! I wanted to make things extra easy for busy grown-ups by providing a FREE printable version of this activity!

Just cut out the shapes and match them to the train puzzle!

We also have a printable bundle All About Shapes! This includes over 25 pages that explore a dozen shapes. From tracing the shapes activities, to matching shapes, building a shape robot, and cutting out shapes. That’s just a few of the many ways this printable will have your kiddo exploring shapes!

For more printable activities, visit our Printable Shop. It is filled with easy to set-up activities that help strengthen early childhood education skills!

The more your child uses this shape train activity, the more learning activities you can add in for them!

The Educational Benefits of This Shape Train Activity

This educational shape activity for kids is perfect for helping them learn their shapes. Once your child learns the various shapes, this can then be used as a foundation for learning math, colors, and even language development.

The shapes can also be counted to work on math skills, and as your child progresses, you can even add some shapes with sight words on them to help with reading skills as well. This is also a great way to have them work on listening skills and matching various colors.

The sticking of the shapes onto the train is excellent for their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination as well.

The more your child uses this shape train activity, the more learning activities you can add in for them!

This Pre K math activity is a great hands on and visual way to learn how to count and do simple addition. Learn more about how to easily set this up, how to get the printables, and how this game will get your preschooler on track to understanding some important basic math skills!

A Hands On Pre K Math Activity

This fun and easy-to-create activity for kids is a great way to work on math and counting. Once they start realizing that it’s possible to have fun and learn at the same time, they’re going to love adding on more and more hairs to count.

This is such a visual and tactile experience. Using simple materials you have in the home for hair, like toothpicks, pasta, and pegs – makes this activity budget friendly and hands on! This means that in just a few short minutes, your little one will be having a blast! (and learning!)

Plus, we made it even easier with a printable that does all the hard work for you. Read on to get it!

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

One Way to Set Up This Pre K Math Activity

This fun counting game is an excellent way for your child to learn the early math concepts of counting and simple addition. One way to set it up is on a vertical surface. Vertical surfaces will improve should strength, encourage crossing the midline, and benefits extending attention span! However, even on a flat surface, this game is, no doubt, a fun way for them to engage their hands and minds simultaneously.

All activities should be supervised by an adult. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links.

Encourage Creativity and Imagination

One of the best things about this number activity is that you can easily change it up. This makes it fun for various ages and also keeps kids interested and engaged longer. There are 2 different printables available. For toddlers and young preschoolers, you should begin with the printable that is all about counting and number recognition. Older preschoolers and kindergartners will enjoy the printable all about simple addition.

There are so many different ways you can play with this printable. We experimented with both vertical and horizontal surfaces as well as switching up the materials we used as the hair. Spaghetti noodles could be fun, ribbon might be great, or anything else that your little one brainstorms on and wants to use. Note: pipe cleaners were heavy on the adhesive paper, so either make sure you have really strong sticky paper, or use something lighter like ribbons or toothpicks!

• Tape
• Loose Parts to use as hair (for example: pasta, ribbon, pegs, pipe cleaners, etc.)

Step 3

Provide loose parts for your children to add as hair to the people. If doing a vertical surface, use something light! Even the pipe cleaners were a bit too heavy and had to be repositioned!

Step 1

On the non-sticky side of a strip of adheisve paper, tape the printable. You can cut out the people or leave it in the printable page.

Step 2

For a vertical surface, tape the adhesive paper to the wall, sticky side up.

Step 3

Provide loose parts for your children to add as hair to the people. If doing a vertical surface, use something light! Even the pipe cleaners were a bit too heavy and had to be repositioned!

Grab This Pre K Math Printable!

Grown up are busy, and I understand we don’t all have time to draw a bunch of people and create a DIY version of this! So I’ve made it super simple for you with these worksheets for you to print out and use! 

The Count the Hair printable is all about number recognition and is great for toddlers and young preschoolers who are beginning to recognize their numbers and count sequentially!

The Add the Hair printable is great for older preschoolers and kindergarteners who have a stronger ability to recognize numbers and are ready to start adding them together!

Make sure that you don’t miss out on our Number Parking Lot and our Count the Pizza Toppings Game, too!

For more printable activities, visit our Printable Shop. It is filled with easy to set-up activities that help strengthen early childhood education skills!

There is also an excellent benefit for your child of working on their fine motor skills with this fun activity as children pick up small objects and use hand-eye coordination to place them on top of the heads.

The Educational Benefits of Pre K Math

This activity is excellent for combining hands-on learning with early math skills.

Your child will be able to identify numbers fast for repetition and how to problem solve quickly, too. While this hair activity is quite fun, there are excellent educational benefits as well. It helps your child with number recognition, counting sequentially, one to one correspondence, and simple addition.

This then leads to more math learning, such as asking your child what number comes next or working on even larger addition, subtraction, and multiplication problems.

There is also an excellent benefit for your child of working on their fine motor skills with this fun activity as children pick up small objects and use hand-eye coordination to place them on top of the heads.

Here is a fun way to introduce the math concept of number comparison and recognition of the symbols greater than, less than, and equal to! It is super visual and tactile! Keep reading and discover how easy it is to make your very own math game out of some cardboard and adhesive paper.

An Easy-to-Make DIY or Download Our Free Printable!

Teach your children number comparison and how to use the greater than, less than, and equal to signs! This DIY game using an alligator for the symbols is a fun way to play and learn. 

Plus, for extra busy parents, we wanted to make the process even easier, so we made a free printable version of this game just for you. More on that below! 

All activities should be supervised by an adult. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links.

Watch the Video to See How to Make the Game!

In this video you’ll see how easy it is to make this game yourself. Using readily available materials, this game is budget-friendly and can be created quickly!

Of course, we know that grown-ups are tight on time, so we’ve created a free printable version of this activity that you can find below.

Enjoy Number Comparison With This Fun Game

One of the first concepts that will help children understand addition and subtraction is learning number comparison. 

Before jumping into an activity like this, your child should be able to either count or be able to recognize numbers. If your kiddo is still learning that, we have the perfect DIY counting puzzle for you to make and play!

In this video you’ll see how we played this number comparison game. Use a dice, or randomly select numbers, compare them, and decide whether they are greater than, less than, or equal to! You can also use manipulatives, as we did with small fish charms. They allow younger kids to physically count the quantities first and then compare one from the other!

• Paper Fastner
• Googly Eyes
• Multi-Sided Dice
• Fish Charms

• Cardboard: 1 Large Piece and 2 Small Pieces
• Paint Pens
• Adhesive Dry-Erase Paper and Pen
• Paper Fastner
• Googly Eyes
• Multi-Sided Dice
• Fish Charms

Step 4

Punch a hole in the center of the small cardboard pieces and poke two holes in the center of the big cardboard sheet.

Step 5

Use paper fasteners to secure the alligator to the cardboard while keeping it moveable.

Step 6

To play the game, use a dice or randomly select numbers, write them in the square spots with a dry-erase pen and move the alligator in the correct position. Alternatively, use manipulatives, like fish charms, instead of writing numbers.

Step 1

Use a sharp craft knife to cut out rectangles from one of the pieces of cardboard. Retain these as they will be the pieces for the numbers. Cut out as many pieces as you want.

Step 2

Make the gator. Either use my free printable or use craft sticks to paint a gator with green paint. Add some white paper for teeth and eyes.

Step 3

To make your number pieces: use markers to draw individual numbers on separate pieces of cardboard.

Step 4

Add hook and loop adhesive dots to the back of each cardboard number piece.

Step 5

Place hook and loop adhesive dots on the craft sticks gator mouth.

Step 6

Move the gator’s mouth to make a greater than or less than sign, depending on which number is larger.  

FREE Printable Version of This Number Comparison Activity

Even though we absolutely love this DIY game for number comparison (it is so easy to make and budget-friendly!), we do understand that grown ups are busy and so we wanted to give you a short cut with this FREE printable!

This printable not only comes with the alligator-themed less than, equal to, and greater than symbols, but you’ll also get number flash cards!

For more printable activities, visit our Printable Shop. It is filled with easy to set-up activities that help strengthen early childhood education skills!

Understanding the value of numbers and how the represent more or fewer amounts is a skill they will use everyday in real life.

Educational Benefits of Learning Number Comparison

This is the perfect game for preschoolers and young grade school children to play. It introduces the concepts of numbers actually representing larger and smaller amounts.

Number comparison, which is a building block of addition and subtraction. If there are 10 people and 5 cupcakes, are there enough cupcakes for everyone?

Using an alligator’s mouth to represent the greater than or less than sign is a visual image that will stick in your child’s mind. 

Through playing this game, kids will be able to understand a number’s relationship with other numbers. This is called number sense.

Understanding the value of numbers and how the represent more or fewer amounts is a skill they will use everyday in real life.