Addition and Subtraction Fine Motor Task Boxes

Description

This fine motor skills task boxes set is packed with 10 engaging addition and subtraction activities designed to help your students practice adding and subtracting within 10. Perfect for morning tubs, early finishers, math centers, or busy boxes, this set of math and fine motor activities targets the development of standards-aligned math concepts and fine motor skills in preschool and kindergarten students while also fostering independence and excitement about school. Designed to be completed independently, these fine motor activities build finger strength, dexterity, and coordination while giving you time to take care of some of the many other tasks that demand your attention each day!

What You Get in This Fine Motor Set:

This set includes ideas and printable materials for 10 fine motor addition and subtraction activities. Each task is designed to fit into a standard plastic pencil box and includes a printable label, picture directions, and other materials (such as work mats or task cards). The tasks in this set are intended to help your students master kindergarten operations and algebraic thinking standards but are appropriate for any child that needs practice with addition and subtraction within 10.

The included addition and subtraction activities are:

▶ Pattern Block Addition Puzzles
Students match eight addition equations to pattern block templates and then complete the puzzles.

▶ Roll and Add
Students roll a six-sided die two times, adding counters to ten frames each time. They then use a dry erase marker to fill in the addition equation they’ve made.

▶ Mad Science Addition
Students build addition equations using tweezers and pompoms.

▶ Start with Ten – Subtraction
Beginning with ten counters on a work mat, students spin a spinner to determine how many counters to remove. Then they write a subtraction equation.

▶ Adding with Cubes
Students build towers with snap cubes to match equations on task cards.

▶ Subtraction Fishing
Students solve subtraction problems by fishing from a pond.

▶ Plus or Minus Spinner Game
Students practice discerning between the plus and minus signs in this spinner game.

▶ Linking Number Bonds
Students use plastic chain links to connect parts of part/part/whole number bonds.

▶ Playdough Subtraction Squish
Students use little balls of playdough to solve subtraction problems.

▶ Addition and Subtraction Clip Cards
Students use clothespins to mark the correct answers to addition and subtraction problems.

How to Use These Fine Motor Activities:

Once you get your students started with these task boxes with some initial instructions, they will be up and running and ready for independence! These addition and subtraction fine motor task boxes are perfect to grab during any of the times that you need students to be independent, engaged, and productive. Use these simple fine motor activities as morning tubs when students arrive in the classroom (a soft start is a great way to let students gently adjust to the school day) or as early finishers for children who finish their work quickly. These addition and subtraction activities are also useful during math center time, indoor recess, or any time students need a quiet break to re-focus.

To prepare these Addition and Subtraction Fine Motor Skills Task Boxes, print and laminate the activity label and instructions as well as the printable activity materials. Attach the activity label to the outside of the box and the illustrated instruction card inside the lid. (You can use Velcro to attach the labels if you want to have the flexibility to easily switch activities throughout the year!) Place all listed materials inside the box. Each activity requires the inclusion of other classroom items such as manipulatives or basic classroom supplies (listed below).

Once assembled, these fine motor activities stack easily on a shelf. Teach your students what procedures you would like them to follow for use and clean up. Some teachers allow students to come into the classroom and quietly select any of the morning tubs, while others prefer a check-in/out system that encourages children to cycle through the activities. Another option is to make a selection of task boxes available at each table and rotate them as the week goes on. This option can cut down on transition time and allow students to quickly choose an early finisher or math center activity.

What Teachers Are Saying:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “These task boxes save my mornings! My students love the activities, and I am able to get things done (attendance, lunch count, open breakfasts) because they are independent while they work on these activities!” -Jessica K.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “This is a great resource. Very hands-on and immediately ready for use. My kids love these centers, and it has helped a few that were struggling with these concepts. My favorite is the play dough squish subtraction!” -Laura W.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “PERFECT for morning bins and work tubs. The students really enjoy using these activities during math stations. These activities work on fine motor as well as math skills.” -Sandra C.

Recommended Materials List (not included in purchase):

Standard Pencil/School Supply Boxes
copy paper, card stock, laminator/film
clothespins
craft pompoms
child-sized tweezers
pattern blocks
(7 orange squares, 4 green triangles, 6 tan skinny rhombuses, 4 blue rhombuses, 3 red trapezoids, 1 yellow hexagons)
3/4” circular transparent counters
paperclips
transparent spinner (optional)
math links (learning links)
playdough
mini-erasers (or other small counters)
dry erase markers/erasers
connecting cubes
straw, string, magnetic tape, and pony bead (for fishing pole)

Why are fine motor skills important?

Research shows that well-developed fine motor skills in young children are a predictor of academic success. It makes sense that children with dexterity and hand strength would be more successful in a classroom that requires writing and drawing, but researchers have found that the connection goes beyond that. Through a series of studies using longitudinal data that tracked students from kindergarten through eighth grade, researchers determined that strong fine motor skills in the early years of life help form connections in the brain that lead to greater academic achievement throughout the school years. Unfortunately, advances in technology have led many families away from traditional activities that promote fine motor development. The time that many children spend using computers, tablets, and smartphones is time that they are not spending building, drawing, and manipulating objects in the world around them. Many children are beginning school with a deficit of motor skills, both gross and fine. It is important for schools to give children many opportunities to build those skills.

If you have any questions, email susan@myhappyplaceteaching.com or use the contact form on this site.

Thank you for shopping!

Susan Jennings (My Happy Place)

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Permission to copy for single classroom use only.

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