Pom Pom Fine Motor Mats: Valentine’s Day

Pom Pom Fine Motor Mats: Valentine’s Day are Valentine’s Day pom pom mats that help preschool and kindergarten kids build hand strength and match colors as they cover each circle with a pom pom.

Pinch, match and cover! Each mat shows a Valentine’s Day picture made of colored circles, like a chocolate-covered strawberry, a ring, a butterfly, a cookie and a heart. Kids pick up a pom pom that matches each circle and set it in place until the whole picture is filled in.

Pom poms are perfect for little fingers. Picking them up with a pincer grasp, or with tweezers or tongs for an extra challenge, builds the same muscles kids use to hold a pencil. Matching each circle color by color also builds focus and visual tracking.

The 8 half-page mats each have a word to trace too, and 7 full-page “How many?” mats let kids count the pom poms of each color and write the numbers on the color key. That adds a little literacy and math to every mat.

Print the mats in color and laminate them so they last through lots of busy hands and pom pom spills.

How to Use Pom Pom Fine Motor Mats: Valentine’s Day

1. Print and laminate the mats.
2. Set out a bowl of pom poms in the colors on the mats.
3. Choose a mat and name the picture together.
4. Pick up a pom pom that matches the first circle and place it on top.
5. Trace the word or count the pom poms and write the number.
6. Keep going until every circle is covered.
7. Dump the pom poms back in the bowl and choose a new mat.

Small Group: Work on the same mat together and name each color as you place it. Count how many pom poms of each color you used.

Independent Practice: Put the mats, a bowl of pom poms and a pair of tweezers in a fine motor center.

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Easy Ways to Differentiate These Pom Pom Mats

Some kids in your group are still building a pincer grasp, some can pinch pom poms but rush and some are ready for tools and counting. The mats stay the same. What changes is the size of the pom poms, how kids pick them up and what they do once the picture is filled.

For Children Who Need More Support:

• Use larger pom poms on the Valentine’s Day mats. They are easier to pinch and see.
• Have kids fill one section of the Valentine’s Day picture, like the top or one color, before moving on. Smaller chunks keep the mat from feeling big.
• Sort the pom poms for the Valentine’s Day mat by color into a muffin tin before starting. Sorting first lets kids focus on placing.
• Put the Valentine’s Day mat on a slanted surface, like a binder. A slant puts the wrist in a better position for pinching.

For On-Level Practice:

• Have kids fill every circle on the Valentine’s Day mat with a thumb and pointer finger pinch. That pinch is the same one kids use to hold a pencil.
• Ask kids to name each color as they place it on the Valentine’s Day mat. Naming adds color vocabulary.
• Have kids count the pom poms in one color on the Valentine’s Day mat. Counting adds a little math.
• Have kids fill the Valentine’s Day mat with fingers, then again with tweezers. The tweezers add a harder grip.

For an Extra Challenge:

• Have kids use tweezers or tongs for every pom pom on the Valentine’s Day mat. Squeezing tweezers builds pencil muscles.
• Use the “How many?” Valentine’s Day mats to have kids count and write the number. Counting and writing fit on one mat.
• Ask kids to fill the Valentine’s Day mat with their non-dominant hand. Using the other hand builds coordination on both sides.
• Time a Valentine’s Day mat and try to beat it the next day. Speed and control grow together.

For Speech, OT, ELL or Special Education Support:

• Watch how kids pick up pom poms on the Valentine’s Day mats. A whole-hand grab instead of a pinch may mean they need bigger pom poms or a warm-up.
• OT: pinching pom poms and using tweezers on the Valentine’s Day mats builds pincer grasp and hand strength. Short, daily sessions work best.
• Speech and language: practice color words and counting as kids fill the Valentine’s Day mats. Talking while working builds vocabulary.
• For multilingual learners, name the Valentine’s Day picture and each color together. Knowing the words helps kids talk about the mat.

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Pom Pom Fine Motor Mats: Valentine’s Day Are Perfect For:

• Preschool and pre-K
• Kindergarten
• Fine motor centers
• Morning tubs
• Sensory bins
• Color practice
• Occupational therapy sessions
• Special education
• Early intervention
• ELL and multilingual learners
• Homeschool preschool
• Early finishers

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