December is the Month of Pin Punching!

Pin punching is one of the best activities I know of for increasing fine motor strength!  Holding onto the piercer and making the small and precise holes in the paper not only strengthens the childrens hand strength in preparation for writing but also builds concentration.

These two boys choose this activity because it was new on the shelf, but once they started all I heard was how they were going to make one of each item in the basket!

These are two examples of the templates in the basket for piercing.

It didn't take long however, before everyone had decided these pin punches were just perfect for making into ornaments!  Now 5 year olds are a very industrious bunch and they never waist anything that might become useful in the future, with that being said, you now understand why pin punch ornaments are coming home not only as the punch out but as the left over scrap too!  It never ceases to amaze me what they will come up with when they are given the freedom and materials to create!