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Fine Motor Skill Activities

  Aquadoodle or Magna Doodle - I personally love these because water is used to draw on the mat.  No worries about marks getting on the carpet!  I especially like the Magna Doodles for traveling.

 Duplo Legos - The larger legos are better for toddler and early preschool age children

 Fingerpaint- A wonderful sensory and fine motor activity

 ABC Lacing Beads - We used these in therapy and really liked them as it combined lacing and ordering the alphabet.  Both lowercase and uppercase letters are printed.  The reviews claim that the holes are small and the strings are too big.  We have not had this problem, but you can always use other lacing strings. 

Lacing Beads

  *Play Doh - Playdoh is excellent for fine motor skills and imagination.  There are several different playdoh sets available to help with the fine motor skills.  Especially look for sets with scissors and rolling pins.  

 Sidewalk Chalk

Games

Candy Land

 Connect Four - This is a game your child will grow into.  At the preschool age, putting the pieces into the slots is another great fine motor skill.

 Cootie - Great fine motor activity - Fun game to help learn patience and fine motor skills.

 Dominoes - Start with the small numbers - six dots

  Elefun - The Elephant blows 30 feathery, vinyl butterflies from its 4-foot trunk into the air while your kids use mesh nets (four included) to capture the butterflies.  Great for hand/eye coordination.

 Hi Ho Cherry-O

  Melissa & Doug Wooden Bear Family Dress-Up Puzzle - This wooden set contains 45 mix-and-match pieces to assemble mama, papa and baby bear.  I love these puzzles because you can change the bears expressions and their clothing to express their every mood.

 Original Memory  - Start out with just a few pairs and slowly increase the amount.

Peg Puzzle

ThinkFun Rush Hour Jr. - Although this game claims to be for ages 6-8, older four year olds should be able to do several of these mind games.  The object is to get a car out of a traffic jam.  Very fun and self-entertaining!

  Twister - Although your child probably won't be able to play the by the rules, this is a fun game to help with gross motor skills and colors.  Have fun matching colors and body parts.

 UNO Cards - These cards can be used for many activities.  The game is fun too!

Magazines

Clubhouse Jr. - A great Christian magazine for kids from Focus on the Family.  Read a review here. 

 Wild Animal Baby - This is a wonderful magazine in board-book style published by National Wildlife Federation.  Created for ages 0-4, our children love this magazine that they received as a Christmas gift.  Read a review here. 

Your Big Backyard - Also by the National Wildlife Federation, this magazine is the next step up from Wild Animal Baby for ages 3-7. Read a review here.

Misc.

  Count Your Blessings! (BOZ Series) - Our children are in love with Boz the Green Bear.  This is a new series introduced to us by some family members.  Boz comes in videos, books, toys, and various other forms.  You can purchase these on Amazon and at Christian book stores. 

Hop Ball - My #1 Suggested Toy - Also called Jump Balls, there is not a day gone by that this toy isn't used.  The great thing about the balls is that the child gets exercise as well as the sensory input.  Great for balance, coordination, and gross motor skills.  There are different sizes available for various aged kids. 

Pretend Play

  Doctor Set - Our children have had so much fun playing doctor.   Add a Doctor Costume and no one will be sick in your home!!

Dress Up Clothes - Fire Chief Costume or other occupations - Having several different sets allow your child to dream about what God will have them do when they grow up. 

  Mega Bloks Lil' Front Loader - Hours of endless play as your child can load up blocks, cars, or any little toy.  I especially like this one because the bucket is so big. 

  My First Dollhouse - I love this Fisher Price dollhouse because it can grow with your child.  I especially like the little people that come with the house.