Fine Motor
Math & 123sPreschoolersToddlers25 Comments
This basic threading cheerios on spaghetti activity is super simple to set up. So much you can do with threading cereal.
Grab some play dough to act as a holder.
Check out my favorite post on how to make homemade play dough – it’s so soft!
Once again, I’m returning to basic activities I’ve done in the past with the older boys and redoing them with Louis while he’s still somewhat little.
Scroll down to see this activity when Henry was 3 years old.
Roll the play dough in balls, or you could do a long tube like we did in the skip counting activity.
Stab a piece of spaghetti into each ball of play dough.
Then pour a bowl of Cheerios, or other o-shaped cereal.
Grab a Cheerio and thread it onto the spaghetti.
I had Multi-Grain Cheerios, so Louis sorted the cereal by color while threading it on the spaghetti.
Light-colored cereal went on the green play dough balls and the dark went on the purple balls.
I set out 5 balls of play dough with 5 pieces of spaghetti.
Two would have been enough.
It takes a lot of cereal to fill a spaghetti noodle!
If you’re looking for more threading ideas, check out this post with 32 materials that help strengthen fine motor skills.
This is a great activity to do around snack time too!
Add Learning to Your Threading Cheerios on Spaghetti Activity:
- Try skip counting to it, read how to do that here.
- Add patterning, especially if you have different colored cereal (such as multi-grain Cheerios, or Fruity Cheerios)
- Count the cereal as you put it on. Put five pieces of cereal onto each piece of spaghetti.
Below is our Cereal Threading when Henry was 3 years old.
Play dough is still Henry’s favorite go-to activity.
To start this threading cheerios on spaghetti activity, I made a few play dough balls and lined them up in a row.
Mentioning the pattern (yellow-green-yellow) as I went along.
I asked along the way, ‘What color of play dough comes next?’
Sometimes Henry guessed right, but it was just a guess.
Next came the dry spaghetti noodles.
Henry carefully lined them up without breaking them.
Using cheerios and hollow noodles, Henry loved threading the spaghetti with a tower of treats!
Another chance for a pattern lesson (noodle-cheerio-noodle).
The patterning hasn’t caught on, just more exposure to it.
Eventually, the noodles were plowed over with Henry’s tractor.
This proved to be the most fun!
What are your favorite activities that engage fine motor skills?
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Marinela Driscu says
We did it as well , it was amazing . Some of the spaghetti bend and we discuss the reason why it happen and what we can do to keep it straight . He really enjoy it
OneMommy says
Oh I like it! My daughter needs to start threading things and with Cheerios at least if they get eaten by the dog her baby brother it will be okay!
The Book Chook says
Or, you could play Mean Mom and give him cooked pasta to thread!
The Activity Mom says
Thanks for the link =). Love the patterning along with the fine motor skills! The tractor made me smile. =)
Mama Pea Pod says
Wonderful idea! Will have to try this :-)
Jackie H. says
What an awesome idea. I love that it not only practices those fine motor finger movements but it also exercises those shoulder muscles as he reaches up to put on the noodles/cheerios. We're having spag. for supper tonight. Guess what the 3 yo will be doing while I cook?
Deborah says
I love how you can put the short pasta right over the spaghetti. This is a terrific fine motor and play idea!
Rachel says
I love this idea!
Melissa @ The Chocolate Muffin Tree says
This is Great! Love how Henry plowed over everything!
Michelle says
Neat idea!