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Simple fine motor play activity using pipe cleaners and a cooling rack

November 9, 2016 by Kate 13 Comments

Here is a simple fine motor play activity using pipe cleaners and a cooling rack. It’s super quick to set up, a great way to introduce basic threading to your child and you’ll be amazed at the final results. Your cooling rack will never have looked so pretty! 
Simple fine motor play activity using pipe cleaners and a cooling rack
It’s always around dinner time that Possum (4.5 years) and Boo (1.5 years) are looking for a bit of entertainment and I can usually get them involved in making dinner to get us through that wobbly time of night. With dinner already prepared I had to think quick on my feet and gave them 2 materials that would keep them well entertained into the night. Win! 

Recommended age: 2 years + 
(Strict and active supervision is required at all times) 
wire-racks-for-threading
For this activity you need –

  • Cooling rack
  • Pipe cleaners


threading-pipe-cleaner-activity

Quite simply, I asked both of children to decorate the cooling rack with the pipe cleaners and left them to it. That’s it. 

Fine Motor Skills

As you can imagine, this is a wonderful fine motor activity for kids that give their fingers a really great work out by threading the pipe cleaners between the slots of the wire rack and squeeze the ends to hold them in place. A lot for difficult than using ribbon. Fine motor activities help children with their pencil grip, writing skills and more. 

wire-rack-toddler-threading

Just look at that concentration! 

I found that holding the wire rack upright suited Boo as it was easier to retrieve the other end of the pipe cleaner once it passed through one side. I suggest this to those children who are toddler age. 

threading-and-playing Visual Motor Skills

Possum was quite focused on the colours of the pipe cleaner and took a more methodic approach. She wanted an even coverage of pipe cleaners across the rack and for it to look great ‘up on the wall’. Boo was more interested in getting the pipe cleaners to stay in place and had lots of fun problem solving until she worked out what approach worked for her. 
threading-pipe-cleaners-on-a-wire-rackOf course older children might enjoy the challenge of threading the pipe cleaners in a coloured pattern and keeping the pipe cleaners running all in the same direction.  There is the added challenge of removing all the pipe cleaners from the wire cooling rack afterwards. 

Do your children like playing with pipe cleaners? 

Here are some other ideas you’ll love – 

DIY fine motor activity of threading straw beads   Sewing or threading paper plates as an activity to learn about shapes and their features.  Pasta Threading - a fine motor activity for toddlers   

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Filed Under: 1 - 3 years, 3 - 5 years Tagged With: colours, fine motor skills, pipe cleaners

Comments

  1. Lauren @ Create Bake Make says

    November 9, 2016 at 9:46 pm

    This is really clever! My guys LOVE manipulating pipe cleaners into different shapes, around their toys and even the dog (don’t ask!) so I’ll be trying this for sure!

    Reply
    • Kate says

      November 10, 2016 at 2:49 pm

      Hahaha sounds like a great story about the dog.
      Thank you for your kind comments Lauren.

      Reply
  2. Penny says

    November 10, 2016 at 6:20 am

    Kate, this is such a brilliant idea. I really need to look around the house more for items that the kids can play with. I adore this idea but we’ll be using nature for this one *wink*.

    Reply
    • Kate says

      November 10, 2016 at 2:42 pm

      Oh I can only imagine the great things you’d come up with Penny. Thanks for commenting.

      Reply
  3. Kelly says

    November 10, 2016 at 6:23 pm

    Love these kinds of simple, yet effective types of activities. It’s so doable.

    Reply
    • Kate says

      November 12, 2016 at 11:58 am

      Took all of about 10 seconds to set up Kelly! Love that. ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  4. The Thrifty Issue says

    November 11, 2016 at 2:21 am

    You’re so creative! I’m definitely trying this with the kids. Thanks, Kate!

    Reply
    • Kate says

      November 12, 2016 at 11:58 am

      You’re so kind! Thank you. My girls had so much fun with this one. I’m sure your darlings will too. ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  5. Renee Play-Based-Parenting says

    November 13, 2016 at 5:17 pm

    This is a cool idea ๐Ÿ™‚ My kids love pipe cleaners so much that we have run out at the moment.

    Reply
    • Kate says

      November 16, 2016 at 3:15 pm

      You’ll have to add them back onto the shopping list Renee. ๐Ÿ˜‰
      Thanks for your comment.

      Reply
  6. Anna @Kids play space says

    November 14, 2016 at 4:16 pm

    This is brilliant! I might bring it into the clinic (OT) this week! Thank you!!

    Reply
    • Kate says

      November 16, 2016 at 3:14 pm

      What a compliment. Thanks Anna. ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Weather lacing cards - Laughing Kids Learn says:
    June 2, 2020 at 9:46 am

    […] Threading with pipe cleaners […]

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Welcome
Hello and welcome!
My name is Kate and I am a mum to two little girls, Possum and Boo. We have lots of fun together learning with play at home and are pleased to share some of what we do with you.
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