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Building with foam blocks and shaving cream {fine motor skills}

4 Comments Preschool, Kindergarten

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The temperatures have been so high lately that we have been inside quite a bit to escape the heat. But when possible, I make an effort to get the kids outside in our backyard in the late afternoon when there is enough shade to keep us cool.

One recent afternoon, I set up an activity to have my kids build with foam blocks and shaving cream. I have to give a shout out to Jackie from Happy Hooligans for inspiring this activity with her post on teaching spreading skills with blocks and shaving cream.  I thought this would be such a fun way to get my kids practicing those all important fine motor skills. And boy oh boy did they have fun with this!

Note: For more ideas to help kids build their fine motor skills, see my fine motor skills page.

Kids can build structures with foam blocks and shaving cream to practice fine motor skills including spreading and stacking. Plus, the shaving cream adds an additional sensory element to this activity that kids love! #finemotor #sensory #handsonlearning || Gift of Curiosity

For this activity, I used the following materials:

  • A can of shaving cream (from the dollar store)
  • Small trays to squirt the shaving cream on
  • Foam blocks (from Goodwill)
  • Butter knives

Kids can build structures with foam blocks and shaving cream to practice fine motor skills including spreading and stacking. Plus, the shaving cream adds an additional sensory element to this activity that kids love! #finemotor #sensory #handsonlearning || Gift of Curiosity

I brought the kids outside. They watched me place some shaving cream on their little white trays. I then gave each of them a knife and invited them to spread the shaving cream onto the foam blocks to make them stick together. I demonstrated this for the kids, and then let them try it for themselves.

They were game to try it themselves and dove right in.

I always know that XGirl is really concentrating when her tongue comes out. 🙂

Kids can build structures with foam blocks and shaving cream to practice fine motor skills including spreading and stacking. Plus, the shaving cream adds an additional sensory element to this activity that kids love! #finemotor #sensory #handsonlearning || Gift of Curiosity

These lightweight foam blocks easily stuck together with the shaving cream.

Kids can build structures with foam blocks and shaving cream to practice fine motor skills including spreading and stacking. Plus, the shaving cream adds an additional sensory element to this activity that kids love! #finemotor #sensory #handsonlearning || Gift of Curiosity

The kids started by building towers with their blocks.

Kids can build structures with foam blocks and shaving cream to practice fine motor skills including spreading and stacking. Plus, the shaving cream adds an additional sensory element to this activity that kids love! #finemotor #sensory #handsonlearning || Gift of Curiosity

But they soon branched out from towers into other structures.

Kids can build structures with foam blocks and shaving cream to practice fine motor skills including spreading and stacking. Plus, the shaving cream adds an additional sensory element to this activity that kids love! #finemotor #sensory #handsonlearning || Gift of Curiosity

I think they could have kept going with this for a lot longer, but sadly I ran out of blocks.

Kids can build structures with foam blocks and shaving cream to practice fine motor skills including spreading and stacking. Plus, the shaving cream adds an additional sensory element to this activity that kids love! #finemotor #sensory #handsonlearning || Gift of Curiosity

For clean up, I dumped everything into a bowl and rinsed it off in the sink. Easy peasy!

More fine motor resources

More fine motor posts from Gift of Curiosity:

  • Toys that build fine motor skills
  • Apple fine motor game
  • Trace the shapes art and fine motor activity
  • How to assemble a flashlight
  • Seed medallions
  • Spray bottle mural
  • Practical life activities in the kitchen
  • Stringing a rainbow necklace
  • Fine motor fun with play foam
  • Water bead sensory play
  • Alphabet lacing cards
  • Erasing letters with a Q-tip
  • Making letters with straws and play dough


For more fine motor activities, see my Fine Motor Activities page or my follow my Fine Motor Activities board on Pinterest!

Follow Gift of Curiosity’s board Fine Motor Activities on Pinterest.

Filed Under: Preschool, Kindergarten, Fine Motor

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Reader Interactions

4 Comments

  1. Science Kiddo

    August 9, 2014 at 8:41 am

    I love this idea! We have a whole collection of foam blocks that you can’t build very high because they fall down easily. Thanks for posting!

    Reply to this comment
  2. Damjana

    August 10, 2014 at 1:28 pm

    Hello Katie,
    it’s a wonderful idea. As I have never seen the foam blocks yet, do you happen to know if they can be bought in Europe, too?

    Thanks for sharing the activity 🙂
    Damjana

    Reply to this comment
    • Katie SG

      August 10, 2014 at 3:39 pm

      Hi Damjana,

      I can’t say for sure, but I would imagine they would be available in many places. We own foam blocks for the bathtub (which aren’t the ones we used for this activity), and I would guess something similar would be available in Europe as well. The particular foam blocks featured in the post are something I found at a second-hand store.

      Katie

      Reply to this comment
  3. The Educational Tourist

    September 8, 2014 at 6:55 am

    What a fun, fun idea! This would be great for camping, too! Easy and fun!

    Thanks for sharing such a clever idea!
    Natalie, The Educational Tourist.

    Reply to this comment

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