Fine Motor Skills STEM Centers Cardboard, Braiding, Paper, Cutting Activities

Build Fine Motor skills!

Students learn all of their fine motor skills using 13 low-prep fine motor activities. The perfect resource to get all of your students on the same page by learning cutting, building, cardboard construction, ChompSaw cardboard cutting,paper folding, weaving, knot tying, play dough molding, braiding, and more!

Why STEAM centers?

STEAM centers expose students to a lot of different ideas, materials, and challenges in a short amount of time. These challenges keep the attention of students and allow them to pick up those valuable STEM skills little by little as they work through each challenge.

STEAM centers also give students the flexibility to work independently or with a partner or small group. Look through the preview to see all of the STEM centers.

How to use STEAM centers:

Each center can be used as a whole class STEAM challenge, or you may choose the activities you want students to complete and have them rotate through the activities as centers. If you are doing these challenges as centers, we recommend students work for 10-15 minutes per center.

Includes:

• Teacher instructions
• Center place cards for tables
• STEM worksheets
• Engineering Design Process poster
• Examples for each activity
• 11 STEM challenges
• NGSS Standards
• Common Core Standards
• TEKs Standards

Center 1: Paper Folding

Suggested Materials:

• origami paper (or paper cut to 6 in. x 6 in.)

Center 2: Cardboard Construction

Suggested Materials:

• cardboard
• scissors
• connecting pieces: tape, rubber bands, toothpicks, brads, pipe cleaners, string
• cardboard construction idea board (created by teacher)
• binder ring with idea cards (optional)

Center 3: Weaving

Suggested Materials:

• 1 in. x 8.5 in. cut paper strips (9 per student)
• scissors
• weaving printable
• weaving loom (optional)

Center 4: Cardboard Connecting (without tape)

Suggested Materials:

• cardboard
• brads
• Makedo
• scissors

Center 5: Tying Knots

Suggested Materials:

• cardboard strip (set up with strings ready to knot)
• string

Center 6: Paper Construction

Suggested Materials:

• paper
• tape and/or glue
• paper construction idea board (created by teacher)
• binder ring with idea cards (optional)

Center 7: Paper Airplanes

Suggested Materials:

• paper
• instruction sheets

Center 8: Cardboard Cutting

Suggested Materials:

• cardboard
• safety saws
• templates (printed on cardstock and laminated)
• cardboard scissors

Center 9: Play Dough Maze

Suggested Materials:

• cookie sheet
• play dough
• marble or ping pong ball

Center 10: Cardboard Connecting With Tape

Suggested Materials:

• cardboard
• tape
• scissors

Center 11: Tower Building

Suggested Materials:

• straws with connectors (various options available)

Center 12: Braiding

Suggested Materials:

• printable instructions
• three colors of yarn (can have various thicknesses available for different skill levels)

Center 13: Cardboard Saw

Suggested Materials:

• cardboard saw (ChompSaw or similar)
• printable templates
• pencil
• cardboard