Fine Motor Preschool Rainbow Activity {Pasta Necklace}

Last Updated on January 30, 2022 by Sheryl Cooper

Inside: This preschool rainbow activity works on color recognition while also building fine motor skills. The result is a colorful necklace!

Making a necklace is a great fine motor rainbow threading activity for preschoolers.

Each year we do some version of this, such as last year when we made a necklace with cut straws.

I did this particular activity during small groups. I showed them a picture of a rainbow and they sorted the colored macaroni so that they had one of each color.

Then, we worked on fine motor skills by threading them with plastic needles.

They were so excited to wear their necklaces!

Fine Motor Preschool Rainbow Activity

I love planning rainbow activities. We’ve made rainbows from cardboard, rainbows from paint (using toy cars!), and simple rainbow suncatchers from a paper plate and contact paper!

Rainbow activities are a great way to work on color recognition while building other skills as well.

This particular preschool rainbow activity strengthens those little hands, getting them ready for writing.

What you will need for this rainbow necklace activity:

• Any kind of pasta that you can thread
• Yarn
• A plastic needle
• Food coloring to dye the macaroni (we love Wilton’s icing gels)

Preparing this activity:

• Dye your macaroni the colors of the rainbow. I use the same method for macaroni as when we dyed our rice for our sunflower sensory bin.
• Cut the yarn so that it will fit around a preschooler’s neck. (You can be generous and then cut the yarn later if it’s too large.)
• Tie the yarn to the plastic needle and place the dyed macaroni in separate containers.
• Set the containers of dyed macaroni on the table in rainbow order.

CLICK HERE to find more rainbow activities!

Making these rainbow necklaces:

Show your children how to hold the needle (attached to the yarn) with their “worker hand” (dominant hand).

Then, with their “helper hand” (non-dominant hand), slip the macaroni through the needle and thread.

(Note: You can take one of the macaroni pieces and tie it on the end of the yarn so the other macaroni pieces don’t slide off the yarn. Then, when the necklace is finished, untie that piece and let it join the others.)

While the children are putting the dyed macaroni on their necklaces, have them identify what each color is.

Show them that they’ve now made their own rainbow to wear!

When the threading is completed:

Remove the plastic needle and connect the necklace by tying it.

Now the rainbow is ready to be worn!

More rainbow activities:

40+ Toddler Rainbow Activities

Rainbow Color Sorting Activity that can be Hung!

15 Amazing Rainbow Science Activities

Preschool Color Activity Plans

I am so excited to be a co-author of these color theme activity plans.

24 preschool learning activities for your colors theme, including literacy, math, science, art, fine motor, and more! A great resource for teachers and homeschoolers.

CLICK HERE for more information!