If you’ve ever watched your child fumble with scissors or struggle to grip a crayon, you’re not alone. Fine motor skills — the small muscle movements needed for writing, tying shoes, and buttoning coats — take time to develop.
But here’s the thing:
You don’t need flashcards or therapy tools. Often, all you need is paper, scissors, glue… and a little imagination.
That’s why I love using my School Days Cut & Collage Book as a fun and playful way to build fine motor strength — especially in preschool and early elementary years.
You can find it as a physical book or as a printable in the Pepper Printable Club.
And the best part? Your child won’t even realize they’re “learning.” They’re too busy creating!
Let me show you 5 simple and screen-free craft activities that boost coordination, creativity, and confidence — no prep required.
The Pepper Printable Club
Join the Pepper Printable Club for the fun in life and get 100s of Printable, Learning Sheets and SVG files along with graphic sets for scrapbooking and more! Additionally, you'll find video lessons there as well!
It's a lovely place to be to relax from the everyday life!
5 Fun Crafts to Build Fine Motor Skills with Your School Days Book
1. Snip and Sort: School Supplies Edition
Skills: Cutting, sorting, visual matching
Instructions:
- Let your child cut out several school-themed items (e.g. rulers, pencils, crayons)
- Create categories together: “things we write with”, “things we measure with,” etc.
- Use glue to sort and paste them into labeled boxes on a worksheet
Helps develop hand strength + categorisation
2. Build-a-Monster School Bag
Skills: Cutting, gluing, creativity
Instructions:
- Cut out different items (tape, paper scraps, crayons)
- Let your child imagine they’re packing a school bag… for a silly monster (btw - there are free monster coloring pages waiting in my Library for you, join for free!)
- Decorate a paper bag or pouch to “pack” their supplies
Great for open-ended imaginative play
3. Trace & Cut Puzzle Shapes
I love that one! Create your own puzzle and the best thing is: You can use it over and over again! And, if you create a scrapbook page with a meaningful photo together, it gets even better because you can keep the memory alive whenever you do the puzzle.
Skills: Tracing, hand-eye coordination, cutting along lines
Instructions:
- Glue one of the patterned papers to cardboard (or scrapbook a page and cut that one)
- Draw basic shapes (circle, square, triangle)
- Have your child cut along the lines and reassemble like a puzzle
Boosts coordination + shape recognition
4. Tear & Layer Collage
Skills: Pinch tearing, hand strength, spatial awareness
Instructions:
- Let your child tear pieces of colored paper (instead of cutting)
- Use them to layer a creative collage (school building, backpack, etc.)
- Add cut-outs like apples or rulers on top
Builds dexterity + planning skills
5. Color & Place Matching
Skills: Pencil control, visual scanning, gluing
Instructions:
- Use a background sheet and provide coloured cut-outs
- Ask your child to match coloured items to the right place (e.g., red apple goes in red square)
- Let them glue and name the items aloud
Supports colour recognition + grip strength
Want 15 More Ideas?
These 5 are just the beginning!
Grab the FREE download with 15 creative ways to use your School Days book here, from The Library
And remember — if you're already in the Pepper Printable Club, you can download the entire School Days Cut & Collage Book now and start crafting today!
The Pepper Printable Club
Join the Pepper Printable Club for the fun in life and get 100s of Printable, Learning Sheets and SVG files along with graphic sets for scrapbooking and more! Additionally, you'll find video lessons there as well!
It's a lovely place to be to relax from the everyday life!