Occupational Therapy Activities for Preschoolers: A Parent's Guide

Preschool years are filled with remarkable growth—your child is learning to dress themselves, use scissors, play with friends, and navigate their world with increasing independence. But what happens when certain tasks feel harder for your child than they should? When buttons are frustrating, playground equipment seems intimidating, or sensory experiences lead to meltdowns?

This is where occupational therapy can make a meaningful difference. And between therapy sessions, the activities you do at home play a crucial role in your child's development.

If you're looking for practical, fun ways to support your preschooler's occupational therapy goals—or simply want to boost their developmental skills through everyday play—this guide is for you. These activities are designed by occupational therapists to build essential skills while keeping things playful and engaging for young children.

Why Occupational Therapy Matters for Preschoolers

Occupational therapy for preschoolers focuses on helping children develop the physical, cognitive, sensory, and social skills they need for everyday activities—what therapists call "occupations." For a preschooler, these occupations include:

• Getting dressed independently (buttons, zippers, shoes)
• Using utensils and drinking from cups
• Holding crayons and scissors correctly
• Playing with peers and sharing toys
• Sitting still during circle time
• Navigating playground equipment
• Managing sensory experiences (loud noises, messy textures, bright lights)
• Following multi-step directions

When children struggle with these tasks, it's not about effort or behavior—it's often about underlying skills that need support and practice. Occupational therapists help identify these skill gaps and create strategies to bridge them.

The goal? To help your preschooler participate fully in their world with confidence and independence.

How to Use These Activities

Before diving into specific activities, here are some principles to keep in mind:

Follow your child's lead: Activities work best when they match your child's interests. Love dinosaurs? Incorporate them into fine motor tasks. Obsessed with vehicles? Use toy cars in sensory bins.

Keep it playful: These activities should feel like play, not work. The moment something becomes a battle, take a break and try a different approach.

Start where your child is: If an activity feels too hard, simplify it. If it's too easy, add challenge. Your child's occupational therapist can help you gauge the right level.

Consistency matters more than perfection: Five minutes of practice most days beats an hour of frustration once a week.

Celebrate small wins: Notice and celebrate effort and progress, not just perfect execution.

Now, let's explore activities organized by the skills they develop.

Fine Motor Skills Development

Fine motor skills involve the small muscles of the hands and fingers. These skills are essential for countless daily tasks—writing, buttoning, using utensils, tying shoes, and more.

Peeling Stickers

What it develops: Pincer grasp (thumb and pointer finger), hand-eye coordination, finger strength

How to do it: Give your child a sheet of stickers and a piece of paper. Let them peel stickers off the backing and place them wherever they want. To add challenge, draw circles on the paper and ask them to place stickers inside the circles.

Why it works: The precise movement of grasping and peeling a sticker strengthens the exact muscles needed for holding a pencil and manipulating small objects.

Make it fun: Use themed stickers (animals, favorite characters) or create a sticker story together.

Stringing Beads

What it develops: Bilateral coordination (using both hands together), hand-eye coordination, focus and concentration

How to do it: Provide large beads and a shoelace, pipe cleaner, or sturdy string. Show your child how to thread beads onto the string. Start with larger beads and progress to smaller ones as their skills improve.

Variations:

• Use cereal like Cheerios and uncooked pasta for edible stringing fun
• Create patterns (red, blue, red, blue) to add cognitive challenge
• Make jewelry they can actually wear to boost motivation

Why it works: Threading requires precise hand movements and the coordination of both hands working together—one holding steady while the other threads.

Using Clothespins

What it develops: Grip strength, pincer grasp, hand strength

How to do it: Give your child clothespins and something to clip them onto—the edge of a container, cardboard, felt shapes, or even their clothes.

Activity ideas:

• Clip clothespins around the rim of a paper plate to make a "lion's mane"
• Transfer pom-poms from one bowl to another using clothespins
• Hang doll clothes on a mini clothesline
• Sort by color, clipping matching clothespins to colored paper

Why it works: The squeezing motion strengthens the same muscles used in gripping a pencil and manipulating fasteners like buttons.

Additional Fine Motor Activities

Playdough play: Squishing, rolling, pinching, and molding playdough is one of the best fine motor workouts available. Add cookie cutters, plastic knives, and small objects to hide and find.

Scissors practice: Start with play dough or thick paper strips. Progress to cutting along lines as skills develop. Look for spring-loaded training scissors if regular scissors are too difficult.

Tweezers and tongs: Use child-sized tweezers or kitchen tongs to pick up small objects (pom-poms, cotton balls, small toys) and transfer them between containers.

Sensory Play Activities

Sensory play engages your child's senses—touch, sight, smell, sound, and movement—and is crucial for brain development, emotional regulation, and learning. For children with sensory processing challenges, these activities help them gradually build tolerance and understanding of different sensations.

Playdough Creations

What it develops: Tactile exploration, hand strength, creativity, sensory tolerance

How to do it: Provide playdough (homemade or store-bought) and let your child explore freely. Add tools like rolling pins, cookie cutters, plastic knives, or small toys to press into the dough.

Make your own:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup salt
• 2 tablespoons cream of tartar
• 2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons oil
• Food coloring

Mix and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until it forms a ball.

Why it works: The resistive texture of playdough provides deep pressure input to hands while allowing creative expression. The process of making playdough together also incorporates measuring, mixing, and following steps.

Sensory Bins

What it develops: Tactile exploration, fine motor skills (scooping, pouring, pinching), focused attention, sensory tolerance

How to do it: Fill a large plastic bin or container with a base material (rice, dried beans, kinetic sand, water beads, shredded paper). Add scoops, cups, funnels, and small toys. Let your child explore freely.

Theme ideas:

• Ocean bin with blue water beads, shells, and plastic sea creatures
• Construction bin with kinetic sand, small trucks, and rocks
• Farm bin with dried corn, plastic animals, and small cups for "feeding"

Why it works: Sensory bins provide controlled exposure to different textures in a playful context, helping children build sensory tolerance while developing motor skills.

Bubble Popping

What it develops: Hand-eye coordination, tracking skills, sensory processing, motor planning

How to do it: Blow bubbles and let your child pop them using different methods—clapping, stomping, using one finger, using just their pointer fingers together.

Variations:

• Pop bubbles while jumping on one foot
• Catch bubbles on a wand
• Pop only big bubbles or only small bubbles

Why it works: The unpredictable movement of bubbles challenges visual tracking and motor planning, while the sensory experience of popping provides satisfying feedback.

Gross Motor Skills Enhancement

Gross motor skills involve large muscle groups and whole-body movements. These skills are essential for playground play, sports, balance, coordination, and overall physical confidence.

Obstacle Courses

What it develops: Balance, coordination, motor planning, strength, body awareness

How to do it: Create an indoor or outdoor course using household items:

• Couch cushions to jump on or step over
• Tape on the floor to walk along (like a balance beam)
• Blanket tunnel to crawl through
• Hula hoop to jump in and out of
• Stairs to climb up and down

Why it works: Obstacle courses challenge multiple motor skills in a fun, adventurous format. Children love the game-like quality and the sense of accomplishment.

Pro tip: Let your child help design the course. Ownership increases engagement.

Animal Walks

What it develops: Core strength, coordination, motor planning, body awareness

How to do it: Move like different animals:

• Bear walk: On hands and feet, bottom in the air
• Crab walk: Sitting position, hands behind, walk backward on hands and feet
• Frog jump: Squat low and jump forward
• Snake slither: Army crawl on belly
• Flamingo stand: Balance on one foot
• Bunny hop: Jump forward with feet together

Why it works: These movements engage core muscles, build upper body strength, and challenge coordination in playful, imaginative ways.

Ball Games

What it develops: Hand-eye coordination, gross motor control, timing, bilateral coordination

How to do it:

• Roll a ball back and forth while sitting
• Throw bean bags or soft balls into a basket or target
• Kick a ball toward a goal
• Catch and throw with a partner (start with large, lightweight balls like beach balls)
• Bounce and catch

Progression: Start with large, slow-moving objects. Progress to smaller, faster ones as skills improve.

Visual Motor Integration

Visual motor integration is the ability to coordinate what the eyes see with what the hands do. This skill is essential for handwriting, reading, sports, and countless daily tasks.

Tracing Shapes

What it develops: Hand-eye coordination, pencil control, pre-writing skills, shape recognition

How to do it: Start with large, simple shapes (circle, square, triangle). Your child can trace with their finger first, then with crayons or markers. Progress to more complex shapes and smaller sizes.

Variations:

• Trace in shaving cream, sand, or on a fogged mirror
• Use stencils and templates
• Draw shapes with chalk on the driveway and have them walk along the lines

Puzzle Assembly

What it develops: Visual perception, problem-solving, spatial awareness, fine motor control

How to do it: Provide age-appropriate puzzles. For preschoolers, start with 4-12 piece puzzles with large pieces and clear images. Progress to more complex puzzles as skills develop.

Tips:

• Start with knob puzzles (pieces have handles) for younger preschoolers
• Choose puzzles featuring your child's interests
• Work on puzzles together, narrating your problem-solving process

Why it works: Puzzles require children to analyze shapes, rotate pieces mentally, and coordinate hand movements to fit pieces—all critical visual motor skills.

Dot-to-Dot Drawings

What it develops: Visual tracking, number recognition, pencil control, hand-eye coordination

How to do it: Start with simple dot-to-dots with large dots and numbers 1-10. Progress to more complex images and higher numbers as skills develop.

Why it works: Following dots in sequence challenges visual tracking (a skill essential for reading) while requiring precise hand movements.

Everyday Household Activities

Some of the best occupational therapy happens during everyday routines. These activities build real-world skills while giving your child a sense of contribution and competence.

Sorting Laundry

What it develops: Sorting and categorizing, bilateral coordination, visual discrimination

How to do it:

• Match socks together
• Sort laundry by color or type (shirts vs. pants)
• Fold washcloths or match hand towels
• Transfer clothes from washer to dryer

Why it works: These tasks involve sorting (a cognitive skill), manipulation of fabrics (sensory and motor), and contributing meaningfully to family routines (self-esteem).

Cooking Tasks

What it develops: Fine motor skills, bilateral coordination, following directions, sensory exploration

How to do it: Involve your preschooler in simple, safe kitchen tasks:

• Stirring batter or mixing ingredients
• Pouring pre-measured ingredients
• Spreading with a butter knife
• Kneading dough
• Washing vegetables
• Using cookie cutters
• Sprinkling toppings

Why it works: Cooking involves so many skills—measuring, pouring, mixing, following steps—all while being purposeful and ending with something delicious.

Cleaning Windows

What it develops: Upper body strength, bilateral coordination, crossing midline (reaching across the body)

How to do it: Give your child a spray bottle with water and a cloth. Let them spray and wipe windows, mirrors, or sliding glass doors.

Why it works: The spraying motion builds hand strength, while wiping in big circular motions develops arm strength and coordination.

Creative Art Projects

Art activities are natural occupational therapy—they build fine motor skills, encourage creativity, provide sensory experiences, and support emotional expression.

Finger Painting

What it develops: Tactile exploration, creativity, sensory tolerance, fine motor control

How to do it: Provide washable finger paints and large paper. Let your child explore freely—no rules, no expectations. This is about the process, not the product.

For sensory-sensitive children: Start with shaving cream, whipped cream, or pudding if traditional paint feels too messy. Let them use tools (brushes, cotton swabs) if fingers aren't comfortable yet.

Collage Making

What it develops: Fine motor skills (tearing, gluing), creativity, planning and execution

How to do it: Provide magazines, colored paper, tissue paper, or other materials. Let your child tear or cut pieces and glue them onto paper to create a collage.

Variations:

• Specific themes (animals, nature, colors)
• Texture collages using different materials (fabric scraps, sandpaper, cotton balls)
• Seasonal collages

Why it works: Tearing paper strengthens hands, applying glue requires precision, and arranging pieces involves planning and spatial awareness.

Clay Sculpting

What it develops: Hand strength, creativity, tactile exploration, three-dimensional thinking

How to do it: Provide air-dry clay, modeling clay, or homemade salt dough. Let your child mold, roll, pinch, and create freely.

Why it works: Working with resistive materials like clay provides excellent hand strengthening while encouraging creative expression.

Hand-Eye Coordination Activities

Hand-eye coordination—the ability to synchronize visual information with hand movements—is foundational for so many tasks.

Threading Laces

What it develops: Bilateral coordination, focus, hand-eye coordination, fine motor precision

How to do it: Start with large lacing cards with big holes. Progress to smaller holes and lacing actual shoes as skills develop.

Make your own: Punch holes around the edge of a paper plate and let your child lace yarn through the holes.

Catching Games

What it develops: Timing, hand-eye coordination, gross motor control, visual tracking

How to do it:

• Start with large, slow objects (balloons, beach balls)
• Progress to smaller, faster balls
• Try bean bags, which don't roll away when dropped
• Practice underhand throws before overhand

Button Practice

What it develops: Fine motor precision, bilateral coordination, patience and persistence

How to do it: Create a "button snake" by sewing large buttons onto one end of a felt strip and cutting buttonholes in the other end. Your child practices buttoning in a fun, low-pressure format.

Alternative: Practice on actual clothing, starting with large buttons and loose buttonholes.

Core Strengthening Exercises

Core strength is essential for posture, balance, stability, and nearly every physical activity. A strong core supports all other motor development.

Plank Variations

What it develops: Core strength, shoulder stability, body awareness

How to do it:

• Regular plank: Hold push-up position on hands and toes
• Modified plank: On hands and knees
• Plank walks: Walk hands forward and backward while holding plank
• Kangaroo kicks: From plank position, hop feet toward hands

Keep it short: Preschoolers might hold for just 5-10 seconds at first. That's perfect! Focus on proper form.

Therapy Ball Activities

What it develops: Core strength, balance, body awareness

How to do it:

• Sit on therapy ball and bounce
• Lie on belly over ball and "walk" hands forward
• Lie on back over ball for gentle stretching
• Sit on ball during table activities (drawing, puzzles)

Safety: Always supervise ball activities and ensure the ball is appropriately sized for your child.

Wheelbarrow Walks

What it develops: Upper body strength, core stability, shoulder strength

How to do it: Hold your child's legs while they walk on their hands. Start with just a few "steps" and build up gradually.

Variations:

• Wheelbarrow races to a target
• Collect objects while wheelbarrow walking
• Vary the distance based on strength

When to Work With an Occupational Therapist

While these activities can support any preschooler's development, professional occupational therapy may be beneficial if your child:

• Struggles with tasks that peers master easily
• Shows extreme frustration during fine motor activities
• Avoids certain textures, movements, or sensory experiences
• Has difficulty with balance, coordination, or body awareness
• Struggles to sit still during age-appropriate activities
• Has trouble following multi-step directions
• Shows delays in self-care skills (dressing, feeding)
• Avoids social play or has difficulty with peer interactions

An occupational therapist can assess your child's specific needs, identify underlying challenges, and create a personalized treatment plan.

How Coral Care Supports Preschoolers' Development

At Coral Care, we understand that getting help for your preschooler shouldn't mean months of waiting or major disruptions to your family's routine. That's why we've built a platform that makes accessing pediatric occupational therapy simple and stress-free.

What We Offer

Licensed pediatric occupational therapists who specialize in preschool development and bring therapy directly to your home

In-home sessions where your child feels most comfortable and therapy can address real-world skills in their natural environment

Insurance-covered services across major plans, with all the billing and verification handled for you

Fast access with no waitlists – start therapy within 1-2 weeks instead of waiting months

Flexible scheduling that works around preschool, nap times, and your family's routine

Parent coaching so you learn strategies to support your child's development between sessions

Comprehensive care – if your child also needs speech or physical therapy, we can coordinate all services through one platform

Getting Started Is Simple

Not sure if your child needs OT?

Take our free developmental screener to get clarity on your child's strengths and areas where support might help.

Take the 5-minute screener →

Ready to find a therapist?

Search for licensed occupational therapists in your area who can begin working with your preschooler right away.

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Have questions?

Our care navigation team is here to help you understand your options and get started.

Email us: hello@joincoralcare.com

Making Development Feel Like Play

The beauty of occupational therapy for preschoolers is that it doesn't feel like therapy—it feels like play. When your child is squishing playdough, they're building hand strength. When they're helping you cook, they're developing motor skills and following directions. When they're popping bubbles, they're working on coordination.

These activities work because they meet children where they are developmentally while gently challenging them to grow. And when practiced consistently in a playful, pressure-free way, they lead to real, meaningful progress.

Remember: every child develops at their own pace. Some preschoolers master buttons and scissors easily, while others need more time and support. Neither path is wrong—what matters is meeting your child where they are and celebrating their unique journey.

Whether you're supporting your child at home or working with an occupational therapist through Coral Care, these activities provide a foundation for building essential skills while keeping things fun, engaging, and age-appropriate.

Coral Care is a national pediatric developmental therapy platform connecting families to licensed, insurance-covered occupational, speech, and physical therapists who provide care in your home. We're making pediatric therapy easier, faster, and more accessible for families and clinicians alike.

All Coral Care content is reviewed and approved by our clinical professionals so you know you're getting verified advice.

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