Pattern Blocks Puzzles – Fine Motor Skills Task Boxes

Description

Taken from the other Fine Motor Skills Task Boxes sets, these pattern block puzzles are a perfect addition to your morning tubs, early finishers, centers, or busy boxes. This fine motor set includes 68 task cards with designs for students to create with pattern blocks. It also includes an activity label and instruction card designed to fit on a standard-sized pencil box.

▶▶ These pattern block mats are taken from my other Fine Motor Skills Task Boxes. If you have already purchased those activities, do not purchase these. This set is for teachers who wish to only purchase the pattern block puzzles from all the fine motor sets. ◀◀

What You’ll Find in this Pattern Blocks Set:

This set includes 68 pattern block mats (52 puzzle cards and 16 pattern block counting cards. These task cards are designed to fit into a standard plastic pencil box (along with pattern blocks). The set also includes a printable label and picture directions for the puzzle cards and for the counting cards. This task is intended to help your students build fine motor skills (finger strength, grip, dexterity) as well as spatial awareness and hand-eye coordination.

All cards are included in color as well as in black and white.

How to Use this Fine Motor Activity:

Once you get your students started with these pattern block puzzles with some initial instructions, they will be up and running and ready for independence! These pattern block mats are perfect to grab during any of the times that you need students to be independent, engaged, and productive. Use this simple fine motor activity as one of your 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 an early finisher for children who complete their work quickly. These pattern blocks cards are also useful during center time, indoor recess, or any time students need a quiet break to re-focus.

To prepare this pattern blocks set, print and laminate the activity label, instructions, and task cards. Attach the activity label to the outside of the pencil box and the illustrated instruction card inside the lid. Place the cards and pattern blocks in the box.

Once assembled, this pattern blocks task box stacks easily on a shelf with other fine motor activities (or with duplicate copies of this same set. 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 center activity.

What Teachers Are Saying:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Great variety of puzzles and perfect for independent centers for fine motor and visual discrimination practice in my ESE resource room!” –Susan S.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “LOVE! the fine motor task boxes. These were my independent centers while my assistant and I both pulled small groups in a pre-k classroom. I loved how the visual instructions are provided so that after the students have been shown how to complete the activities, they can work independently without interrupting the group with the teachers. The seller also does a great job of keeping activities similar but changing themes within the sets, so that reteaching doesn’t have to occur with each theme change out which is super nice! Thank you for an AWESOME resource.” – Ashley H.

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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