When kids spend time in front of screens they aren't developing their small motor muscles. Creative dot-to-dot activities are a fun way to engage your kids in an activity that helps them build the fine motor skills necessary for everyday tasks and handwriting success.
These unique dot-to-dot activity ideas can be designed and modified for different skill and age levels from toddlers to older kids who are working on more advanced skills.
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Office Sticker Dot-to-Dot
Make a simple dot-to-dot for your toddler or preschooler so they can practice the fine motor skills needed for handwriting.
Place brightly colored office dot stickers like these on a piece of paper to create a dot-to-dot. Instead of numbering the dots as in a traditional dot-to-dot, allow your toddler or preschooler to draw lines connecting random dots however they wish.
Using a chunky marker or crayon to draw lines or scribbles from large dots helps with pre-writing skills.
MORE: Resist Painting With Office Supply Stickers
Giant Dot-to-Dot
When you roll out a large piece of paper from a roll like this on the floor to make a giant dot-to-dot, you are giving your kids the opportunity to work large (gross) and fine (small) motor skills at the same time.
Draw scattered dots on a large piece of paper. Number each dot to practice counting, or label each dot with a letter so kids can practice the alphabet. The farther apart the dots, the more kids will have to move their bodies. See examples of our giant dot-to-dots here.
MORE: Awesome Activities for a Giant Roll of Paper
Advanced Dot-to-Dot
Kids with good motor skills, or kids who need to work on advanced refining of those skills will enjoy Extreme Dot-to-Dot workbooks. My son absolutely loved these and the books come in many different themes like animals or space.
MORE: Lacing Activities for Fine Motor Practice
Shape Dot-to-Dots
Another way to use dot-to-dots for fine motor practice is to create numbered dot-to-dot puzzles on shaped paper. Cut large pieces of paper into circles, rectangles and triangles. Place numbers either randomly, around the edges, or in a pattern that requires kids to criss-cross the paper so they practice crossing the midline.
MORE: Fine Motor Activity: LEGO Head Rescue!
Dot-to-dots come in many varieties and while worksheets that reveal a finished picture when the dots are connected, it's not the only way to engage your kids with this type of fine motor skills practice! Plus, when you make your own dot-to-dots, you can unleash your creativity to them unique!
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