Castle cutting strips are an engaging way to practice fundamental fine motor skills with young kids. Be sure to check out the rest of my cutting strips once you’re done here.
Similar to my other printables, these castle fine motor strips can be used in many different ways. I love that they can also be combined with a wide variety of materials, too. This means you don’t have to go hunting for specialized supplies before adding them to your classroom.
You can add the castle line tracing sheets to your next fairy tale theme, or incorporate them into a unit about world structures. No matter when you use them, I’m sure your students will get a lot of fun and learning out of them.
Related: Free Preschool Printables
You can get your own set of these castle cutting strips at the bottom of this post. I know they will add a touch of whimsy and magic to your fine motor activities!
Castle Cutting Strips
Below, you’ll find tips for prepping and using the castle-themed cutting practice pages. Please keep in mind that you don’t have to do things exactly the way I do! The only limit here is your own imagination. If you have different ideas, feel free to adapt to incorporate them. Make sure to share all your amazing ideas in the comment section at the end of this post so I can try them too!
How to Prep the Castle Fine Motor Printables
There is nothing worse than finding a preschool activity you love that requires expensive materials and complicated preparation. Not to worry! The castle cutting strips are easy to prep and require only basic materials you probably already have.
Here are the items you’ll need (I may commission for purchases made through links in this post):
- Castle Tracing Strips (scroll to the bottom of this post to request your free printable)
- Printer
- Scissors
- Paper cutter
- Dry erase pockets
- Laminator
Here are a few more items you might want to grab if you plan to extend the castle fine motor strips:
Once you have your materials, it’s time to get prepping! Print the castle-themed printables. You’ll notice that there are several strips on each page. Make sure you cut the strips apart before giving them to your preschoolers. Tiny hands will be more successful with smaller pieces of paper to hold while they are cutting.
Related: Castle Activities for Preschoolers
If you want the printable strips to be reusable, you can laminate them or place them in dry erase pockets, too. Now that you have everything ready to go for the kids, it’s time to get started!
How to Use the Castle Cutting Strips
The main use of these castle sheets are right there in the title! Give one strip to your preschoolers, along with a pair of scissors. Encourage the children to cut along the dotted line moving from left to right.
As promised, there are other uses for the castle cutting strips. Have the kids trace the dotted line from left to right with a dry erase marker, if you’ve laminated the papers. For more practice, ask preschoolers to use different colors and copy the pattern above or below the first line.
More Ways to Use the Castle Tracing Pages
That’s not all you can do with the castle cutting strips. Here are a few more fun ideas:
- Have the kids break out the playdough “snakes” to trace along the dotted paths on each of the castle cutting sheets.
- Place the strips in the bottom of a shallow tray, with a layer of sand on top. Then let the kids use their fingers to trace the patterns into the sand.
- Pair the fine motor activity with castle-themed items, like Lego bricks or small blocks. Encourage the children to place them along the lines one by one.
- Use math manipulatives to trace the lines on each castle fine motor strip. If you have more than one type of manipulative, challenge the kids to make patterns along the way!
You can see some of my tracing strips in use in the video below:
Limitless fun is possible with these castle cutting strips! How will you use them with your preschoolers? Please tell me all about it in the comment section below! And don’t forget to request your copy.
What Skills are Being Practiced with the Fine Motor Strips?
Fun is definitely important, AND the real magic happens when we also have a healthy dose of foundational skills. After all, our job is to prepare our kids for kindergarten.
So, what skills are actually being taught with these castle cutting strips? Here’s a non-exhaustive list:
- Left to right progression
- Fine motor skills
- Hand strengthening
- Scissor skills
- Pencil grip
- Counting
- Patterns
Each of these skills are essential for pre-reading and writing mastery, as well as math skills as the children get older. Not too bad for a super simple cutting printable, right?
Don’t forget to scroll to the bottom of this post to grab your copy of the free castle cutting printable!
More Cutting Practice Activities for Kids
Cutting skills can be challenging to master. Practice is the way to progress. Encourage your preschool students to keep practicing and improving their skills all year long with a variety of cutting activities. Here are a few ideas to try after the castle cutting strips:
If your preschooler is especially challenged by cutting, don’t let frustration stop their progress. You may need to focus on other dexterity and strength skills before trying cutting skills again.
One option is to have them practice picking up small objects from a flat surface with tongs. Another option is to have them build their own castle with playdough or clay for an extra challenge.
Fairy Tales Tracing Strips Set
Are you feeling a bit overwhelmed? My sister site, Preschool Teacher 101, is a fantastic resource to save your sanity. We have lesson plans, dramatic play packs, math games, literacy activities, teacher guides, and so much more! Our resources will keep your preschoolers learning all year long.
Click on the image below to discover our Fair Tale Tracing Strips for Fine Motor Practice:
Do you want more lesson plans and ways to expand the fairy tale or building theme? Click the images below to discover more about each product:
If these products appeal to you, be sure to check out The Pack from Preschool Teacher 101. Our members get regular access to our products at a steep discount.
Free Printable Castle Cutting Strips
This free printable is available to members of Fun-A-Day’s free email community. If you’re a member, fill out the form below and the download links will be sent to your inbox. If you’re not a member, you can join us by entering your information in the form. Then you’ll receive the printable castle cutting strips as a welcome gift!
Be sure to check out my printing FAQ page if you run into any issues.
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