Dollar Store Scavenger Hunt

Try a treasure hun fine motor activity for practicing fine motor skills! Plus it’s fun science and sensory play which means it is super fun for young kids. Fun fine motor activities are the way to go when I want to get some fine motor practice in with my sun. What kid won’t love an icy treasure hunt fine motor activity? I know my son loves these awesome ice melting activities!

Treasure Hunt Fine Motor Activity

FAVORITE FINE MOTOR TOOLS

Our favorite fine motor tools include eye droppers, basters, squirt bottles and squeeze bottles. Fine motor tools are awesome for strengthening hand muscles and improving finger skills by isolating the finger’s movements. Fine motor tools are awesome for practicing hand and eye coordination, control and patience!

Melting ice is an awesome way to incorporate all of your everyday fine motor tools!

Not only is this activity awesome for testing out different fine motor tools, it is a super simple science lesson too! How does ice melt? What does ice feel like it? What does it look like?

MATERIALS NEEDED

eye droppers

squirt bottles

basters

squeeze bottles

ice tower filled with treasures for our treasure hunt (see below on how to make one very easily)!

lots of warm water!

bin to hold it all in so you contain the water!

Take an empty milk carton and cut off the top so you have an open box. Add a couple of inches of water and a few treasures. Freeze completely and repeat the process until you reach the top. This allows for an even distribution of treasures! The picture below is from our junk drawer ice tower!

ICY TREASURE HUNT FINE MOTOR PLAY

Get your fine motor tools ready and go on a treasure hunt! For our treasure hunt, I froze pirate coins, fake jewels, trinkets, and a necklace. In the center, I froze a very large “diamond” that we picked up at the dollar store.

Let The Treasure Hunt Begin!

Eye droppers are fun! He likes to use them to make holes in the ice! Great for working the fingers!

A squirt bottle is also excellent for hand strength and coordination. They can be a little tricky to master but a great accomplishment. Of course, spraying the ice doesn’t melt the ice fast!

His absolute favorite is the squeeze bottle! Squeezing is a great hand strengthening activity and yes, melts ice the fastest!

He discovered the large gem in the middle so he wanted to find his way into the center right away. Eye droppers are great for getting into small spaces. He had to cordite his hands and work on precision to get the water to go where he wanted it to go.

Finally! the squeeze bottle found it’s way to the big treasure and it was swiftly freed!

Here are some of our favorite fine motor ice melts!