Materials: coffee filters, child-safe scissors, watercolor paint, paintbrushes, water, markers, spray bottle, string, tape, mirror (optional)
- Create your very own winter wonderland with this fine-motor skills activity!
- Give each child a coffee filter. Have them decorate it with watercolors. They can also decorate it with markers and spray their designs with water so the colors spread and blend. Let the coffee filters dry.
- Have children fold their coffee filter three times. Then have them carefully cut shapes into all sides of the folded filter.
- Finally, carefully unfold the filters and see the beautiful designs! You can talk about all the shapes children see in their snowflake.
- You can also modify this activity to talk about symmetry! To do so, have children make their snowflakes from coffee filters that are not painted. Once they open the filters, ask children what they notice. The filters are the same on both sides but flipped! Explain that this is called symmetry. You can also demonstrate by putting a mirror against the center line to show that it’s the same. Tell children that real snowflakes are symmetrical too!
- Use tape to attach a string to the top. Hang the snowflakes around your classroom to go along with your winter theme! fine-motor skills