Written by Cali @chasing50toes
Fine motor skills are something I’m always thinking about as a homeschooling mom. But like most things, the learning has to feel like play or it’s a hard no from my kids. That’s why I’ve loved using the D&J Numbers Placemat with my three-year-old this year—it’s the one thing he doesn’t resist.
He’s been a little slow to warm up to counting and alphabet games, but he loves anything that works his hands. Once we introduced the Numbers Placemat, the bright colors, simple dots, and built-in sensory-friendly design were exactly what he needed. It turned into the tool that helped us make major breakthroughs with one-to-one correspondence—and now he actually asks to play counting games. Here are a few of the fine motor challenges we’ve been doing at home for the past eight months.
There’s something about the dots on this mat. My son loves lining up small objects—D&J counting chips, snacks, LEGOs, or even his sister’s Hatchimals—just right on each spot. It’s an open-ended setup that pulls him in without pressure. He goes in whatever order he wants, and I’ll often leave our Find & Fit Numbers Puzzle nearby. If he feels like it, he’ll match the puzzle piece to the number he counted out. When we play together, I use the ten frame to show what number he’s working on. He’ll usually do a few rounds before asking for some solo time to go back to simple stacking or counting. And honestly, that independence? Huge win.
Another favorite in our house is using tongs, tweezers, and clothespins to grab puffballs and place them on the mat. This one’s a challenge for him—but a challenge he loves. I set out a tray of rainbow puffballs along with a mix of kitchen tongs, toy doctor kit tweezers, clothespins, and some spoons. The challenge? Use any of the tools to move the puffballs onto the Numbers Placemat and fill all the dots. It’s a workout for those little fingers and super fun to watch. When my older girls join in (and they always do), I have to give them their own mat or they’ll take over his challenge.
If you want to up the concentration factor, give your child a toothpick and a pile of pony beads. This one requires focus and patience, and it’s perfect for quiet play. I scatter the beads across the mat and challenge my kids to move them one by one, using only a toothpick. They poke the tip into the bead and slide it onto a dot—like a mini fishing rod. My son will usually do half the mat, which is great for him. My older girls always go for the full grid. If your house is anything like mine, this quickly becomes a race or a timed challenge.
One of our go-to sensory activities is playdough roll and count. I started this a few years ago during a snowy cabin escape in the Adirondacks—back then we called it snowball squish. Now, with our Numbers Placemat, we’ve brought it back in a new way. I give my son a chunk of playdough and challenge him to roll tiny balls to line up on the dots. Sometimes he squishes them flat, sometimes he stacks them gently on top. Either way, it’s great practice and keeps him fully engaged.
For older learners, this setup is also perfect for modeling subtraction. Using the ten frame, we’ll line up a group of playdough balls and then squish a few to subtract—showing what’s left behind. It’s a super tactile way to demonstrate math without needing a worksheet.
We’ve got more fine motor challenges coming your way soon, so stay tuned on social. Watching my son go from resisting counting games to confidently creating his own has been one of the most rewarding parts of our year. If you’re finding creative ways to use your D&J placemats, I’d love to see—tag us @dominoandjuliette so we can share your play with the whole community.
