Jingle Bell Drop – a Color Sorting Fine Motor Activity

Jingle bell drop is a color sorting and fine motor activity for preschoolers. I love combining holiday themes with educational activities, and this jingle bell drop does just that.

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My mother recently purchased about 100 vintage glass milk bottles like these for my older sister’s wedding. They were the perfect fit for a shabby chic destination wedding, but what on earth do you do with 100 cute, little old fashioned milk bottles? After some convincing, my mother let me take a few off her hands as I knew I could find a use for them in preschool. As it turns out, they were perfect for our jingle bell drop color sorting and fine motor activity.

Students used plastic mini tongs to collect green and red mini jingle bells to drop into the glass milk bottles. They made the most delightful sound as they rang and clanked on the bottom of the milk bottles.  (I actually got my mini tongs at the dollar store, but don’t do that. Half of them broke while the children were using them. I have since bought these, which got good reviews. Some of the reviews even stated the purpose for their use was to develop fine motor skills).

For younger students, simply dropping the bells into the milk bottles is activity enough. Late two year olds and early threes might feel more comfortable using their hands instead of tongs. Please supervise your children closely, as mini jingle bells can be a choking hazard. For more fine motor activities for babies, toddlers and early preschoolers, see these posts:

• Easy Fine Motor Activity for Babies
•  Stacking Fruit Loops and How It Develops Fine Motor Skills
• Glass Pebble Designs: a Fine Motor Activity

To introduce this to my preschoolers, I simply demonstrated how to use the tongs (although each student had their own technique they seemed to prefer), and set down some basic ground rules for the activity. (Like, it’s ok to jingle them in our hands, but it’s not ok to jingle them by throwing them). After a quick demonstration, I left the materials out on the preschool table during centers, and allowed the students to come and go from the center. Although the green and red bells obviously suggest this activity is meant for Christmas time, it was enjoyed so much that I may leave it out past the new year, or exchange the colors of the bells for the next holiday we will recognize in preschool. Perhaps Valentine’s Day.

Enjoy!