Pair the book Rice is Nice with chopsticks, a tub of rice, and small pretend foods for this fun fine motor activity for preschoolers.
Chopsticks fine motor activity
What I love about doing this activity with my preschoolers:
- Teaches children about other cultures
- Builds on their fine motor skills
- Teaches them about nutrition
- Lets them put into action what they learned about in the book
- Teaches them a new life skill
Supplies
- A book about chopsticks (see our ideas below)
- Chopsticks (for kids)
- Rice
- Small pretend foods
- Tub
Instructions
Read a culturally appropriate book to children about using chopsticks. Our recommendations are:
Chopsticks books for kids
- Chopsticks (The Spoon Series, 2), by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
- Rice is Nice, by Nancy Noel Williams
- Maggie’s Chopsticks, by Alan Woo
- Cleversticks, by Bernard Ashley
Show the children how to use children’s chopsticks (for preschool and kindergarten), then move onto regular chopsticks as they learn how to hold them.
Fill a tub with rice and pretend food. Don’t forget to refer back to the book about the names of food they will be picking up with the chopsticks.
