Click here to read Pom Pom Sorting + Posting Activity for Toddlers on Hands On As We Grow®
We love this toddler pom pom sorting and posting activity that are both great for fine motor skills!
Grabbing, pinching and poking at these little items are great for fine motor development!
Henry never got into the little things, he was always too busy and on the move. George gets into it a little bit more and loves to put objects in things.
Believe me, I find stuff in the weirdest places!
Pom poms have become a favorite of his. Give him a container of some sort and a bunch of pom poms, and he’s set!
Simple Toddler Pom Pom Sorting Activity
Since I know he loves pom poms, I thought a quick, no-prep sorting activity would be just the ticket!
To set up your own toddler activity for sorting pom poms, you’ll need:
- pom poms (affiliate link), in a variety of colors and sizes
- muffin pan or ice cube tray
That’s it! Two supplies you already have at home and you’re ready for this quick and simple toddler fine motor skills activity!
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Practice Sorting Skills with Pom Poms
We started by color sorting the pom poms.
I didn’t expect him to be able to do it – he’s only 15 months! But I did want to introduce to him that there are different colors.
I used a muffin pan and sorted the pom poms myself. As I did that I said the colors to help him recognize them.
George pulled the pom poms out of the pan and put them back in, over and over.
I loved watching him match by color. He was so much better than I expected!
As he sorted, we kept talking about which colors he was grabbing and where he was putting them.
The motion of his fingers builds essential fine motor skills: pinching and gripping small objects. This will help with peeling, too!
Another Activity with Pom Poms: Posting Activity!
We were still in the mood to play with pom poms. But I didn’t want be sorting pom poms anymore.
I was looking for a busy activity to keep George busy for a little while and came up with a great posting activity for him to work on.
To make a posting activity with pom poms, you’ll need:
- A Puff’s container (or any container with a soft plastic lid)
- Pom poms
- A sharp knife (for the adult to prep)
I grabbed a Puffs container and cut slits in the lid to make a cross. If you don’t have a Puffs container, you could use a metal coffee can with a lid or an oatmeal container with a lid.
I cut the tips of the opening to round them out, so they weren’t so pointy and sharp.
This time, we’re focusing on pushing small objects through a tight hole, which is called posting. It’s all about how he grips them and how he’s moving his hand!
Once everything was ‘posted’ into the container, he pulled off the lid and dumped them out again. George was using his pincer grip, pulling, peeling, and dumping with control.
Keep exploring with 30 materials & activities to promote fine motor skills
Our pom pom posting container has been an absolute favorite. George spends a lot of time exploring this posting activity.
Sticking the pom poms in. Removing the lid and emptying them out. And repeat.
Pom poms tend to end up all over the place and I find them constantly, check out the splatter of pom poms behind George! Maybe I should treat that as my own “I Spy” game!
There you have it, two pom pom activities: a pom pom sorting activity to work on colors, and a posting activity that is a great busy activity for toddlers.
What’s your favorite pom pom activity for toddlers?
We’d love to check out your creative ideas!
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