We love to use our pipettes for preschool fine motor art! Using pipettes strengthens the pincer grasp, important for future writing skills. In this activity, we set the paper vertically so that the paint could drip down the paper, creating a waterfall effect. It was a huge hit with our preschoolers!
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What you will need:
There are many different ways you could attach the paper horizontally. We use acrylic sign holders.
- Pour the tempera paint into the containers and thin with a bit of water.
- Add the pipettes to the containers.
- Place the acrylic stand(s) on the table.
- Attach a sheet of paper to each acrylic stand with some sort of clip.
Note: We placed a tray under the acrylic stand and then a paper towel on top of the tray to catch all the drips.
Each and every time we use pipettes, the children are fascinated how they can suction the paint in and out.
It takes a bit of practice using the pipettes, but once it’s mastered, the children love it!
Working on a vertical surface puts the wrist into an extended position. (You can read more about the benefits of working on a vertical surface here.)
What is fun about this activity is how the paint travels down the paper. You can see here why we place paper towel under the acrylic sign holder!
The colors merge as they flow down the paper.
Looking for more fine motor ideas?
- Squeezing Activities to Strengthen Hands
- 10 Simple Ways to Strengthen Fine Motor Skills
- Favorite Fine Motor Toys for 3 Year Olds
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