How to Set Up Fine Motor Morning Work Stations
In my ten years of teaching elementary school, I quickly realized when my students came into the classroom in the morning they needed something to do.
I needed time and space to get things organized and solve morning problems and the students needed
a routine that helped set the tone for the day,
meaningful and engaging work.
I knew I didn’t want busy work or paper/pencil activities that needed graded or marked later. I also needed something that didn’t have me going to the copier everyday, that’s when I stumbled upon Differentiated Kindergarten’s Fine Motor Morning Work. Fine motor morning work became our classroom’s morning routine which gave me the freedom to do what I needed to do in the morning, while the students were strengthening their fine motor skills and having fun!
What is Fine Motor Morning Work?
Fine motor morning work is an intentional set of hands-on activities that students complete independently at the beginning of each school day. The activities are designed to help students
strengthen the small muscles in their hands, fingers, and wrists
build motor control
support hand-eye coordination
develop dexterity and pencil grip
foster focus and independence
It’s called morning work because I had students complete these activities right after they entered the classroom so I could take attendance, check folders, solve problems, and get the day started (though you could do it at any point in your day). It replaces the typical morning worksheet. These are low-prep, high-value tasks, that keep students engaged in meaningful practice, helping you, the teacher have a calmer start to your day. Each month students complete:
Coloring pages 🎨
Dough mats
Cutting activities ✂️
Sticker activities ⭐
Hole punch and lacing pages 🧵
Dotting pages 🖌️
Tracing practice ✏️
Pokey pins 📌
Color by number 🎨
Math Games 🎲
Won’t The Students Get Bored Doing the Same Thing Each Month?
First off, bored is not a problem. It’s good to be bored. Being bored can help grow your brain. That’s what I would tell my students.
But they didn’t get bored with the morning work because they didn’t do the same thing day after day. For example, they would only do pokey pins twice a month, so only a total of 20 times over the course of the school year. With about two weeks between and a new pokey pin each time, it always felt fresh and new. Let me explain I how it works.
Why Fine Motor Morning Work Works.
Fine motor morning work isn’t just “busy work,” it’s intentional, meaningful, fine motor practice. It’s also one the best ways to start your day! Here’s why:
Low Prep: you can gather your supplies and copies for the whole year at the start of the school year. Then you only have to change them once a month, not everyday.
Hands-On and Engaging: the students don’t have to worry about the “right answer.” They are free to create and engage with the materials without fear of “getting it wrong.” Kids love the activities and it frees up your mornings so you can get other things done (for at least 20 minutes).
Essential Skills: fine motor skills are essential for writing and daily living tasks (buttoning, working zippers, tying shoes, etc.). Every student can benefit from strengthening their fine motor skills—but for some it’s absolutely necessary!
Consistent Practice: if you do fine motor morning work every day for 20 minutes that’s
100 minutes of fine motor practice each week
400 minutes each month
Fine motor work is a HUGE investment in your students’ academic and personal future.
How Do You Set it Up?
First you will need drawers or bins to keep the activities in. I used a metal drawer system. It has 10 metal bins. Every student could easily take it out and most could put the drawer back in. Because it was made out of metal it has held up well throughout the years. Fortunately, I didn’t buy it, it was a hallway find. But you could use this or this (AMAZON ONE).
I always tried for no more than three in a group, but really found two to be most successful. If I had 20 students, I could have two kids in a group and have 10 bins/drawers. Some years I had more than 20 and I would have uneven groups or need to add a bin/drawer. You should think about how many kids you want in a group. This is important because you need to know how many bins you will need.
Once you figure out what you want to use and where you want to put it (make sure if has enough space for students to put their bins back), then you can get started with gathering your supplies and making copies.
You’ll need:
coloring utensils (crayons, colored pencils, markers, etc.) 🎨
glue 🧴
play dough
scissors ✂️
different types of stickers ⭐
hole punches and yarn or string 🧵
bingo dotters 🖌️
push pins (I put them in erasers when not in use) 📌
dice + spinners 🎲
You may also want:
pipe cleaners
beads
colored paper
tissue paper
paint
I kept all my supplies in a cabinet near my morning work bins for ease of use and to be able to quickly replace lost or broken supplies.
How Do You Teach Your Students?
First off, as all teachers know, the beginning of the year looks WAY different than the end of the year. As classroom teachers our expectations need to match that. Students work at the beginning of the year will not be as controlled or neat as it will be at the end of the year, hopefully. The fine motor packets are designed to gradually incorporate more intricate activities as the year goes on, while still including simpler tasks for those not there yet.
With that being said, remember that the goal is not that it looks a certain way as much as it is that the students practiced the motor skill. That’s the beauty of fine motor morning work! If they are completing the activity, they are most likely practicing the skill regardless of what it looks like.
For fine motor morning work to work, you need to have a good system in place. Students need to be taught how to do each activity and be able to independently get the activities out and put them away.
PRACTICE EACH ACTIVITY
I started my fine motor morning work the first week of school. First, I taught the whole class and had them practice one activity at a time (you can find the activity descriptions below). The students may need more practice with certain tasks. Some years my students weren’t ready for certain activities like cutting. In those years, I would replace that activity with an open play task that required fine motor skills (pop-beds, legos, etc.).
SPLIT THEM INTO GROUPS
Once I felt the majority of the students were ready, I would split them into groups. I tried to pair students who had more fine motor skills with students who needed more support. Having a peer model and helper made the morning work more successful.
In years past I had the bins numbered and I had to move the numbers on the bins or put the students names next to numbers and move the names each day. Regardless I found that moving the numbers/names each day was tedious and time I did not have. So I landed on a system that required me to pass out bins in the morning, but I felt saved me time in the long run.
My students would come in and sit on the carpet by the morning work bins. Once most students were in the classroom, I would start calling out their names and help them get their bins.
MY “NO PREP” ROTATION SYSTEM
Here’s how my system works. First figure out how many students you would like in a group. Put the students in groups and write their names on the sheet.
Day 1 the students use the corresponding bin. Abe and Bethany would do coloring, Caleb and Danny would do play dough and so on. Then you would fill in the first circle at the top representing the first day.
On day two you read off the names as they are written from top to bottom but you start with the second bin (day 2 bin) first, as if the names shifted down one. Abe and Bethany would now do play dough and Caleb and Danny would do scissor work and so on. Then you would fill out the second circle at the top representing the second day.
On day three, again you read off the names as written but now start with the third bin (day 3 bin) first. Abe and Bethany would do scissor work and Caleb and Danny would do stickers. Everyone shifts down two. Then you would fill out the third circle at the top representing the third day.
This system is not going to work for everyone, it’s what worked best for me. If you like to use this system you can grab a free copy of the sheet here.
YOU’RE READY
Once you’ve figured out your system, you’ll need to walk your students through the bins and practice taking them out and putting them back. Figure out where you want your students to work. I always let the kids pick their spots and gave boundaries when something needed to be done on the carpet (pokey pins) or at a table (paint).
Go slow the first week or so. Compliment those that clean up their area quickly, encourage the others to do so as well. I always used a 2-5 minute timer after 20 minutes to help students and myself stay accountable to cleaning up quickly. If students weren’t finished they could always finish during free play at a later time.
Figure out where you would like their “projects” to go. Some of them I used for a class mural or garland to decorate for an upcoming class party. Some I hung up in the classroom or on their lockers, but most “projects” I had the students put in their bookbag to take home.
What Makes Mine Different?
If you’ve gotten this far, you’re likely really considering doing fine motor bins, whether for morning work or another time during your day you won’t regret it!
Inspired by other teachers and vetted through many kindergarten students, I created my own fine motor morning work packets that use the same activities and classroom supplies every month.
Being a teacher is hard enough, you don’t need to add more to your plate. By doing the same activities every month and reusing the same classroom supplies, I didn’t have to invent something new as I was changing the calendar. The students also knew what to expect each morning, they didn’t have to relearn each month. All I needed to do was gather the supplies at the begging of the year and print off the packets.
Each monthly packet has 10 different types of activities and at least two different variations in each activity. Every activity can be ‘spiced up’ by using different materials. Even when the students are doing the same task, using different materials can make it feel fun and exciting. Below you’ll find a description of each activity and ways to ‘spice’ them up.
Coloring Pages
Coloring pages can be done with any coloring utensil. Try switching up the utensils for reengagement with your students. If cleaning up is a problem, you can always limit the number of colors kids can use at a time.
Dough Mats
These are intended to be printed out and placed in a protective sheet so they can be used more than once for practice. First, show your class how to do the two different rolling techniques whole class. Then the students can practice with the first two practice sheets. If you have any students who are exceptionally advanced, they can try the third. Either print the the first two front to back and save the third, or put the third choice on the back of the first two so students can pick which one they do at their station.
Cutting Activities
Have the students color in the picture and then cut them out. These are great to use as a joint classroom picture, like a class tree on your door.
Sticker Activities
You can use any stickers and have the students peel them and put them on the sheet. To limit the number of stickers used, you can pick stickers that come on a small sheet and give each student one sheet.
Hole Punch and Lacing Pages
These sheets require the paper to be precut. Cut around the picture leaving a white margin. The students will then use a hole punch to punch along the line. You can print the picture on colored paper and then have the students save the punches to glue on their picture. Using string, with a pre-knotted end, students can thread through the holes.
Dotting Pages
There are multiple size dotters out there, which is why you have two different sized dot sheets. The third sheet has students use Q-tips and paint to dot the picture.
Tracing Practice
You can have students trace with a pencil and then a marker if you would like them to have more practice. Additionally, you can have students cut after tracing or color or both.
Pokey Pins
These pages are intended to be stapled to thick colored paper and then cut in half. Students are to poke along the dashed line using a push pin on a carpet or rug. This will create a poked outline on the colored paper. Students could cut or color when they are finished.
Color By Number
Coloring by pages can be done with any coloring utensil and a dice or a spinner. Try switching up the utensils for reengagement with your students. There are color by numbers and blank sheets that you can align to what you want your students to be practicing. When they are finished, you could have students cut out their picture and hang them up.
Math Games
Roll + Cover: You should print your math game board on card stock or put it in a protective sleeve. You will need two dice and game pieces (unifix cubes are perfect). You roll two dice (0-5 dice or put a sticker on 6), add them together and cover that number with a game piece. You win when the game board is covered. If your students play together, they can play cooperatively and work together, or bump their opponent off the numbers. When the game board is covered whoever has the most wins.
Roll + Count: You should print the math game board on card stock or put it in a protective sleeve. You will need a dice and game pieces (unifx cubes work well). Students take turns rolling the dice and moving their piece however many spaces you move. Students can play by themselves or against their partner.
Final Thoughts
Fine motor morning work transformed the mornings in my classroom. It gave my students something to look forward to while strengthening essential skills they needed for writing and independent living without adding more work to my plate. My students always knew the routine which gave me freedom and space for my morning work alongside quiet and calm to help us start the day with the right tone.
Whether you’re looking to replace your worksheets, create a calm routine to your morning, or get your students more fine motor work practice, this is a great place to start. Once you set it up, it runs itself.
If you’re ready to give your mornings purpose and peace, check out my Fine Motor Packets. They have everything you need to get started. This small shift can make a BIG difference for you and your students.
