Fine Motor Skills in Kindergarten: Free Snap Cube Cards

Hey there! I’m here today to tell you all about snap cube cards (and how they can help you solve a host of classroom problems)! Have you been noticing students coming to school with fewer of the prerequisite skills that make success easier—things like stamina, independence, curiosity, and (most of all) fine motor skills? It can be tempting to put students in front of a screen to quell the behaviors that sometimes accompany these deficits, but we all know that isn’t the answer. Your instinct is probably telling you that kids need less screen time and more age-appropriate, hands-on learning and play. (And I think you’re right!)

As you may have noticed, I have an obsession with a passion for fine motor activities in kindergarten, so it’s no surprise that here I am writing about them again. This time I’m drilling down to focus on a kid favorite: snap cubes! Read on to find out how snap cubes can become a heavy-lifter in your classroom routine, building up stamina and independence and whittling away at those challenging behaviors. (You’ll also find a sign-up form for a mini set of free snap cube cards to get started!)

Why should I add snap cube cards to my teacher toolbox?

How will adding snap cube cards to your fine motor routine benefit your students? Let me count the ways!

1. Snap Cube Cards Encourage Independence

Snap cube cards are “just the right amount of difficult” for many young children—helping them build independence. When I design snap cube cards, I follow a few self-imposed rules regarding simplicity. I don’t want the tasks to be too overwhelming (or to require each child to have too many blocks). I want students to see a challenge they feel empowered to conquer, with satisfying feedback as they accomplish their goals.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I’m always searching for activities that my special education students can do on their own and stay engaged with. I had to print a second set because everyone loves these so much! They are a great morning work or station activity that can be completed independently. -Rachael O.

2. Snap Cube Cards Increase Stamina

Hand in hand with independence, stamina is so important as children start school. Because these snap cube tasks are engaging, students are usually eager to get started, but the key to building stamina is to get them to keep going! The beauty of snap cube cards lies in their simplicity. Each task is clear and doable, and none takes too long to finish. But then, much like how streaming services prompt us to watch just one more episode as our current show ends, the satisfaction of completing one card encourages students to keep going to try the next design. Soon, you’ll find that your students’ time on task is increasing as they become immersed in building.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ These are a great addition to our classroom. I introduced how to use during small group. Then I placed at our Table Toy Center and in our Blocks and Cars Center. I also cycle them through for Table Time during arrival. Great for persistence, fine motor, problem solving, etc. -C.T.

3. Snap Cube Cards Develop Creativity

Once students have a little practice building with snap cubes, using task cards as a guide, you will probably notice that they begin to use the ideas as a springboard for their own creativity. As kids build independence, they are becoming more confident and comfortable, setting the stage for creativity to blossom!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ My students struggled with imagination. This helped them have a model to start building with. Once they started they didn’t want to stop! -Amanda L.

4. Snap Cube Cards Build Skills

Using snap cubes is a fantastic way for students to build fine motor skills! Snapping the cubes together and pulling them apart improves finger strength and grip. Students also develop dexterity and hand-eye coordination as they line up the cubes to snap them together. Here are a few other skills this powerhouse activity helps to hone:

• visual discrimination
• counting (and subitizing)
• color matching
• problem solving
• critical thinking
• spatial reasoning
• sorting

Some of these skills may not be directly addressed in your standards, but they are so crucial for laying the groundwork for success!

Who benefits from using snap cube cards?

Like with my other fine motor task boxes, I created the My Happy Place snap cube cards with kindergarten in mind. You know your children best, though, and can assess their needs and limitations. I know from my communications with teachers (and their reviews) that my snap cube cards have been used with success in preschool, kindergarten, first grade, special education classrooms, speech therapy rooms, OT practices, and homeschool settings. So many young children—and their teachers— stand to benefit from building with cubes!

When and how can I incorporate snap cubes into my routine?

If you already have a task box setup in your classroom, these will fit right in, but if you’re just getting started, here are some ideas.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I love this resource and so do my students. Super fun, engaging, and meaningful. I use during our morning soft start or math centers in the afternoon. -Samantha S.

Snap cube cards, like my other fine motor task boxes, are a great choice for morning work. If your students trickle in as their buses arrive or eat breakfast in the classroom, having a flexible activity ready to go can be such a sanity-saver. Task boxes give students something to look forward to when they get to school and are easy to quickly clean up when it’s time to move on to the next activity.

Teachers have also reported using the My Happy Place fine motor task boxes during centers, as early finisher activities, in learning labs and free choice areas, as an indoor recess game, and as a small group activity. If you have parent volunteers, having them work with a pair of students and some snap cube cards can be an excellent way to foster appropriate social skills while building finger strength.

The free snap cube cards set you can sign up for below is designed to fit seamlessly with my other fine motor task boxes. The labels, cards, and materials are sized to fit in school supply boxes. To set up this freebie, you’ll need snap cubes (if you don’t have any already, you can buy them at most places that sell teacher supplies or here on Amazon), a pencil box or other container, and the cards and labels (which you will print and laminate).

The free set you can sign up for below includes eight snap cube designs of varying complexity. I’ve included a black and white version of each card in addition to the colorful cards.

Sign me up for the free snap cube cards!

Because I’ve noticed that snap cube activities are some of the most popular in my shop, I decided to make a few extras as a freebie. These eight designs are brand new and are not included in the other sets! If you are interested in adding more cards to your collection, you can find them scattered through the other fine motor task box sets. I’ve also pulled those cards into a “just the snap cube cards” set for people who aren’t quite ready for the full arsenal of fine motor delights yet.

When you subscribe to the My Happy Place newsletter below, you will get a confirmation email with a link to click. Once you’re confirmed, you should receive an email with the link to the file download right away. Sometimes school email accounts block emails like this, so consider using a personal email address if at all possible. If you have trouble, you can reach me at susan@myhappyplaceteaching.com. (Adding that email address to your email contacts can also help ensure that my emails come through!)

Already a subscriber? You can find the PDF in the Free Resource Library (the password is at the bottom of the last email I sent).