Pipe Cleaner Fine Motor Activity With a Cardboard Box

This pipe cleaner fine motor activity is a fun one that we used for many years to target fine motor skills like dexterity, pincer grasp, hand strength, and more. Plus, this pipe cleaner activity is great for toddlers. But, kids of all ages love this activity! Let’s break it down…

Pipe Cleaner Fine Motor Activity

This fine motor pipe cleaner activity is very simple to set up. You need just two items:

1. Pipe cleaners cut into half or one thirds
2. A cardboard box

To set up the activity, first cut the pipe cleaners into smaller sections. For younger children use longer lengths of pipe cleaners and for older kids, target more precise fine motor skills but cutting smaller sections.

Then, use a screwdriver and poke holes all over the cardboard box.

You’ll want to poke holes on the top of the box, but also on the sides of the box. A larger box is best for this activity, because the holes on the sides of the box encourages a wider range of motion, including wrist extension.

You’ll also see more diverse movements when a larger cardboard box is used: bilateral coordination, visual scanning, crossing midline, and more.

Another pipe cleaner fine motor activity to try is dropping pipe cleaners into a bottle. Toddlers love that activity, too!

 

 

Working on fine motor skills, visual perception, visual motor skills, sensory tolerance, handwriting, or scissor skills? Our Fine Motor Kits cover all of these areas and more.

Check out the seasonal Fine Motor Kits that kids love:

• Spring Fine Motor Kit
• Summer Fine Motor Kit (sale price)
• Fall Fine Motor Kit
• Winter Fine Motor Kit

Or, grab one of our themed Fine Motor Kits to target skills with fun themes:

• Frogs Fine Motor Kit
• Unicorns Fine Motor Kit
• Vehicles Fine Motor Kit
• Apple Fine Motor Kit
• Back to School Kit
• Sports Fine Motor Kit
• Outer Space Fine Motor Kit
• Fairytale Fine Motor Kit
• Plus more in our shop!

Want access to all of these kits…and more being added each month? Join The OT Toolbox Member’s Club!

Colleen Beck, OTR/L has been an occupational therapist since 2000, working in school-based, hand therapy, outpatient peds, EI, and SNF. Colleen created The OT Toolbox to inspire therapists, teachers, and parents with easy and fun tools to help children thrive. Read her story about going from an OT making $3/hour (after paying for kids’ childcare) to a full-time OT resource creator for millions of readers. Want to collaborate? Send an email to contact@theottoolbox.com.