Fine Motor Pumpkin Activity with Stickers

Inside: Looking for a no-mess fall activity that builds skills? Try this fine motor pumpkin activity using stickers!

Not all activities need to be complicated! And thank goodness for that.

If you are looking for a simple way to add some fine motor strengthening to your fall schedule, I have the activity your children will love!

Place it on a table and it’s ready to go.

Yep, that easy!

And if your children are like mine, they will love it. And it’s also peaceful. Ahhhhh….

Age Appropriate

This activity was done by my two’s class and also the three’s class.

Our older preschool classes have done something similar using smaller stickers that are a bit more complicated to use (and a great fine motor challenge for them).

Skills Built

Believe it or not, using stickers is very beneficial! There are many different reasons, but the skill I was focusing on with this activity was strengthening the pincer grasp. The tips of the fingers are needed to peel the stickers off the paper backing and then pressed on to the pumpkin.

I talk more about this and include different sticker activities in this post: 10 Ways to Use Stickers to Build Skills

Types of Stickers

With my two and three year olds, I start with strips of circle stickers. It’s easier for them to hold with one hand and peel with the other. Older preschoolers will be more challenged with smaller stickers that are a bit more difficult to remove.

Can be Used Over and Over Again

We had two small pumpkins on trays for this activity. We left it out for a week and once all the stickers were placed on the pumpkin, I challenged the children to then remove them. This was hard for some of them, but with my help we got them all off and started fresh with new stickers.

Fine Motor Pumpkin Activity with Stickers

Supplies

• Small pumpkin (one or as many as you want to have available)
• Strips of circle stickers

Before the Activity

If your children have never used stickers before, take a moment to show them how to hold the strip of stickers in one hand (helper hand) and remove them with the other hand (working hand). Encourage them to peel the backing away a bit to make it easier to pull the sticker off.

Set Up

Place the pumpkin and a strip of circle stickers on a placemat or tray.

Ours was set up at our activity table during centers time.

The Activity

Explain to the children that they will be removing the stickers from the backing and pressing them on to the pumpkin.

Again, if they might need some assistance if they have never done this before.

Another benefit? Recognizing the colors of the stickers!

As the children are placing a sticker on the pumpkin, ask what color it is.

Related: Fun Activities for Teaching Colors

This would also be a good activity for a child who needs help regulating emotions.

They are focusing as they transfer each sticker, deciding where it will be placed on the pumpkin.

You could even use stickers with different textures for a sensory experience.

• Fine Motor: Washing Pumpkins
• Colors: Pumpkin Color Matching
• Math: Pumpkin Counting
• Water Table: Fine Motor Pumpkin Water Table
• Art: Pumpkin Collage
• Sensory: Pumpkin Sensory Table
• Circle Time: Pumpkin Props
• Cooking: Pumpkin Muffins

You can see more here: A Week’s Worth of Pumpkin Activities