Christmas Lights Scoop and Pour Activity for Kids
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The holiday season is the perfect time to add festive fun to your kids' activities while boosting their fine motor skills. This Christmas lights scoop and pour activity is a festive way to build fine motor development through sensory play. Plus, it’s easy to set up with materials you likely have on hand!
This activity provides a hands-on way for children to work on sorting, matching, and motor control—all while enjoying the festive spirit of the season. It’s a great way to keep little hands busy during holiday gatherings or as part of a family craft day.
What You’ll Need
Here’s everything you’ll need to get started:
- Toilet paper rolls (or paper towel rolls)
- Paint (choose colors to match the poms-poms)
- Pom-poms (at least two colors are best)
- Scissors
- Cardboard
- Scoops and/or tongs
- Hot glue gun
- Black or green marker
How to Make Your Christmas Light Scoop And Pour Activity
- Paint the toilet paper rolls in your chosen colors. Allow time to dry.
- Cut the toilet paper roll into strips to form the light bulbs.
- Glue the “lights” onto the cardboard. Arrange them so a string of lights would lay if spread out on the surface. (You can draw the cord first if it’s easier.) Allow time for glue to dry.
- If you haven’t already, draw the cord connecting each light with the black or green marker.
- Place the matching pom poms in various containers.
- Have the kids scoop pom poms into the matching colored lights.
Tips and Play Suggestions for Christmas Scoop and Pour Activity
Fine Motor Development: Using a scoop or tongs strengthens small hand muscles, improving coordination and pre-writing skills. Tongs help transport the pom poms.
Color Matching: Have your child match pom poms to the corresponding light bulb colors, which reinforces color recognition.
Add Some Sparkle: Glittery pom poms resemble twinkling Christmas lights and add a magical touch!
Holiday Theme: Stick with classic Christmas colors like red and green or mix in other festive hues for a brighter look.
Christmas Lights Scoop and Pour Activity for Kids
Materials
- Toilet paper rolls (or paper towel rolls)
- Paint (choose colors to match the poms-poms)
- Pom-poms (at least two colors are best)
- Scissors
- Cardboard
- Scoops and/or tongs
- Hot glue gun
- Black or green marker
Instructions
- Paint the toilet paper rolls in your chosen colors. Allow time to dry.
- Cut the toilet paper roll into strips to form the light bulbs.
- Glue the “lights” onto the cardboard. Arrange them so a string of lights would lay if spread out on the surface. (You can draw the cord first if it’s easier.) Allow time for glue to dry.
- If you haven’t already, draw the cord connecting each light with the black or green marker.
- Place the matching pom poms in various containers.
- Have the kids scoop pom poms into the matching colored lights.
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Heather Greutman, COTA
Heather Greutman is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant with experience in school-based OT services for preschool through high school. She uses her background to share child development tips, tools, and strategies for parents, educators, and therapists. She is the author of many ebooks including The Basics of Fine Motor Skills, and Basics of Pre-Writing Skills, and co-author of Sensory Processing Explained: A Handbook for Parents and Educators.