Fine Motor Fun! Visual Exercises, Sm Group Games and a FREEBIE

Fine Motor and Visual Tracking Skills go hand in hand…

Every year, I look for intriguing activities and tools that will keep my kinders engaged in the practice of learning letters. I know if I can keep them excited, the learning will follow! Last year we used our chips and wands for counting, but this year we are going to use them for centers and small group instruction!

Here are some fun, easy to set up activities that reinforce Fine Motor/Visual Tracking with letters:

Magnetic Wands and Discs are not JUST for Science or Math!

We use magnetic wands for many things in our classroom, but one of our favorite activities involves covering letters with magnetic discs, then “swirling” our magic wands above them to pick them up. This is an easy to set up center, but can be used during small group reading time at the beginning of the year to reinforce learning of letters and sounds.

Sound and Noun Match and Cover Game

This is a fun game that can reinforce letter sounds during the Word Work portion of your small group lessons.

To play this game, you will need an alphabet matching sheet for the focus letter/letters, “magic” wands, magnetic discs and pictures of a variety of nouns that go with or do not go with the focus letter.

Teacher names the sound (let’s find something that begins with an Aa).
Student finds the /a/ thing, then places a disc on an upper or lowercase Aa on the recording sheet (this is laminated for reuse at the sm. group table).
Continue finding things that begin with Aa until all 12 discs with letter Aa are covered.

Follow this game with Work on Writing by having students practice letter Aa., etc.

Cover the Focus Letter Speed Drill

To play this game, place magnetic wands, discs and laminated alphabet sheets with focus letters intermingled with other letters in your center tub. Place paper copies if your students want to extend practice by Bingo Daubing the correct letters. Racing to recognize letters fast improves visual tracking.

Pull out the sheet and some discs/chips.
Set the timer for 1 minute (egg timer).
Put chips on the letters that match the large letter at the top as fast as you can!
Winners complete 12 search and covers in less than a minute.
Repeat with other letter sheets.
Choose one or two paper sheets to dot and take home. Color the large bubble letters.

Make Assessment a Game!

Just adding “magic wands” and chips increases the FUN potential! You can race with individual sheets during small groups, then assess all letters with individual students.

Laminate the two assessment sheets and keep in your small group area. To find this set as the main FREE product on my site, go here. ( will add link when TpT works!)