Christmas Pin Poke Activity for Preschool Fine Motor Practice
These Christmas pin poke pages give kids a bell, a candy cane, a gingerbread man and 12 more holiday pictures to poke. Kids lay the page on a cork board and push a pin through every dot around the outline.
There are 15 pictures. Each one comes as a full page in color and in black and white, and there are smaller versions four to a page. Every page has an “I created a ___” line at the bottom so kids can write what they made.
Why Pin Poking Works
Holding a push pin puts the fingers in the same pinch kids use to hold a pencil: thumb, pointer and middle finger. Poking dot after dot strengthens those small muscles, and every poke has to land on a tiny target, which takes careful aim.
Kids also learn to control how hard they push. Too soft and the pin does not go through. Too hard and the pin slips. Getting it right over and over is great practice for the steady pressure writing takes.
When the page is held up to a window, the holes show the whole picture. Kids love seeing their work light up.
Setting Kids Up to Succeed
- Use a push pin with a wide handle, which is easier for small fingers to grip.
- Put a cork board, a piece of felt or a foam mat under the page so the pin goes through easily.
- Keep the helper hand flat on the page, away from where the pin is going.
- Poke straight down, one dot at a time.
- Stay close by. Pins are sharp, so this is an activity to do with an adult nearby, and the pin goes back in the board when kids are done.
Making It Easier or Harder
Start with the full-page pictures that have smooth, simple outlines, like the star, the bell, the ornament and the Christmas light. Color pages make the shape easy to see.
Move on to the pictures with more detail, like the candy cane stripes, the gingerbread man and Santa. The four-to-a-page versions are the hardest, since the pictures and dots are smaller and closer together.
For kids who need more of a challenge, have them write the name of the picture on the “I created a ___” line when they finish.
Ways to Use Them in December
- A fine motor tray with a cork board, a push pin and a few pages to choose from.
- A quiet table activity during the busy weeks before winter break.
- Window art. Tape finished pages to a window so the light shines through the holes.
- Writing practice. Kids fill in the “I created a ___” line after every picture.
What’s in the Set
- 15 pictures: bell, bow, candy cane, Christmas light, string of lights, Christmas tree, gingerbread man, ornament, gift, reindeer, Santa, Santa hat, star, stocking and wreath
- A full-page color version and a full-page black-and-white version of each picture
- Four-to-a-page versions in color and in black and white
- An “I created a ___” line on every picture
Grab the Printable
All of the Christmas pin poke pages come in one printable PDF.
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