Counting With Elastics
Tools
Jumbo Popsicle Sticks
Mini Elastics Marker
Activity Description
Children will enjoy learning to count with this simple activity! All you need is two tools and you're on your way! With this activity, children are learning to use two hands to complete a task (bilateral coordination) while strengthening fine motor skills and improving eye-hand coordination.
Steps
Step 1: Write a number on each popsicle stick (in this video, we used numbers 1-5).
Step 2: Choose a number popsicle stick, say its number, and place elastics onto the popsicle stick corresponding to the number.
Step 3: Continue step two until all number popsicle sticks are completed
Goals
This activity helps children practice counting while building fine motor and bilateral coordination (using two hands at the same time to execute a task) skills. When children attempt to stretch the elastic to place on the popsicle stick, they are strengthening a neat pincer grasp and the muscles of the little fingers. It takes precision and dexterity to properly place the elastics on the popsicle stick. So many skills are worked on with just two tools!
