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Jingle Bells Fine Motor Tray

Dec 1, 20145,587 views
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Fine Motor Activities : Jingle Bells Fine Motor Tray Save
writing with jingle bells on peppermint tray Save
fine motor practice using jingle bell tray Save
using tongs and bells in fine motor peppermint tray Save
jingle bell art on salt Save
jingle bells fine motor tray with peppermint salt Save

by TurkeyMom in Holidays

Ages3–6 yrs
Prep10 min
Activity20 min
Leveleasy
MessMedium
Works for1:1 · Small group · Class

Kids use tongs to pick up red and gold jingle bells and lay them along numbers traced in a peppermint-scented colored salt tray, then make patterns and their own designs. It builds on the author's peppermint writing tray.

⚠️ Safety first

  • Jingle bells are small parts and a choking hazard. Supervise closely, count the bells back in afterward, and keep them away from children who still mouth objects.
  • The scented salt is for play, not eating. Keep it away from mouths and eyes, because salt stings eyes and cuts. Wash hands after play.
  • An adult handles the peppermint extract when scenting the salt. It is concentrated and can irritate eyes.
  • Gel food color in the salt may lightly tint hands and surfaces.

Before the kids arrive

  • Make the peppermint writing tray: tint the salt with gel food color, scent it with peppermint extract, and spread it in a flat tray. The recipe is in the author's Peppermint Writing Tray post.
  • Write number cards.
  • Pour the red and gold jingle bells into separate cups.

Steps

  1. Set the peppermint salt tray on the table with cups of jingle bells and the tongs beside it.

  2. Explore the bells first: pick them up with the tongs and mix them around.

  3. Prop a number card at the top of the tray.

  4. Trace the number in the salt with your fingers.

  5. Use the tongs to pick up bells and lay them along the number you traced.

  6. Try a pattern with the bells, such as red, gold, red, gold.

  7. Make your own designs and jingle bell art in the salt.

  8. Show off your finished jingle bell art.

Tips

  • Before starting to work with the fine motor tray, let your child explore the bells. Ours had fun picking them up with the tongs and mixing them up.from the author
  • Give kids time to find their grip. Ours tried various hand positions before she was comfortable with one way to hold the tongs.from the author
  • You can introduce patterns if the child is receptive.from the author
  • After the kids are done tracing on the peppermint writing tray, set out the bells and tongs to get a second activity from the same tray.from the author
  • It's an art tray that smells amazing too, and a simple, easy-to-put-together fine motor tray.from the author

Make it your own

  • Trace letters or names instead of numbers.
  • Let kids skip the tracing and go straight to free jingle bell art.
  • Use the bells for jingle bell soup sensory play, another of the author's activities.

The story behind it

By TurkeyMom · December 2014
peppermint fine motor tray
I had this delicious smelling Peppermint Writing Tray. Once the kids were done tracing on it, I set out cups of these really cute jingle bells along with silver tongs.
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Jingle Bells Fine Motor Tray: the original post

Fine Motor Activities with a holiday twist. Expanding on our peppermint writing tray this fine motor activity will make learning and creating extra fun. Materials

I had this delicious smelling Peppermint Writing Tray. Once the kids were done tracing on them I set out cups of these really cute jingle bells along with a silver tongs. { Recipe for the peppermint writing tray in the above link} peppermint fine motor tray Before starting to work with the fine motor tray, I let my 4 year old explore the bells. She had fun trying to pick them up using the tongs. She mixed the bells up and was generally having fun with the bells {Try making our jingle bell soup for some sensory play}

jingle bells activities with salt tray

Then she simply traced the numbers { in our case} with her tiny fingers.

salt tray writing with bells

And used the tongs to pick up the bells. Then she tried tracing the number outline with the jingle bells. She tried various hand positions before she was comfortable with one position to hold

using tongs and bells in fine motor peppermint tray

You can introduce patterns if the child is receptive.

writing with jingle bells on peppermint tray

After tracing and patterning, both the kids were off to making their own designs.

fine motor practice using jingle bell tray

Jingle Bells art. Art tray that smells amazing too.

jingle bell art on salt

A simple easy to put-together fine motor tray for kids.

jingle bells fine motor tray with peppermint salt

Thanks for reading

Fine Motor Activities for Kids | Christmas Fine motor activities with jingle bells

More Sensory activities for kids can be found here.

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