Help kids develop the fine motor skills necessary for handwriting with this diy connect-the-dots activity that also teaches counting.
Connect-the-dots activities, or "dot-to-dots", a great way to help kids develop the fine motor skills necessary for handwriting but without the pressure of having to learn how to form alphabet letters before it is developmentally appropriate.
This DIY connect-the-dot activity, is easy to make and you can create numbered puzzles in a variety of shapes and sizes to keep things interesting.
It's easier to make your own dot to dots that don't result in a representational picture when completed. Although, if you are so inclined, there's no reason not to do so. For me, making abstract designs was much, much easier than plotting out a specific image.
I made the connect-the-dot worksheets by placing numbers randomly, or in patterns, on paper. I made a bunch of them ahead of time so I could use them for a quiet time activity when I needed to get something else done.
I used rubber stamps for the numbers but it was rather tedious, I won't be doing that in the future. I recommend handwriting the numbers. It's a lot easier and faster. Plus, your child will not care if your number are perfectly formed, or not.
My child LOVED the homemade connect-the-dots! He called it "chasing the numbers".
He insisted I make more dot-to-dot worksheets, including this giant dot to dot!
Anna - Three Sneaky Bugs says
Love this idea!
Sherry says
Nice idea--I especially like the giant one! 🙂
Jenny says
I love simple-to-prepare activities like this! I hope CJ enjoys it as much as Kiddo did.
Fun Mama - Deanna says
I am right there with you in not wanting to spend more time setting up an activity than actually doing it. That makes it tough, because a two year old's attention span almost dictates that will be the case. I like this idea. It's similar to one of my favorite doodling activities - a single connected swirl all over the page.
Cindy says
I'm going to try this!
Mom and Kiddo says
I hope you have fun!
Kristina says
This is totally awesome. I shared it on my site today and we plan to try it out this week! http://www.toddlerapproved.com/2013/05/color-and-word-games-toddler-approved.html