Engaging Activities for Low Dexterity and Short Attention Spans

In this blog post today I’m sharing 20 engaging activities for low dexterity and short attention spans. These are activities that I have used with my students over the years and that I have found to be very successful.

If you’re working with a child who has low dexterity and a short attention span, you know how tricky it can be to find activities that hold their interest while also helping them build those fine motor skills. It’s not just about getting them to practice grasping or pinching—it’s about making it fun, engaging, and frustration-free.

What is Low Dexterity?

Low dexterity can mean different things for different students. Some of your students may struggle with grasping smaller objects. However, other students might find it difficult to control their hand movements for writing, cutting, or even picking up and placing items. These challenges can make traditional fine motor activities feel overwhelming or even impossible.

The key is to think outside the box and find ways to help your students to develop their motor skills in a way that feels natural and enjoyable. Whether you choose to try some of the sorting, painting, scooping, or moving their whole body activities, each of these ideas in this blog post is designed to support fine motor development in a way that meets the child where they are…. Without the frustration of tiny pieces or tricky grasps.

This blog post may contain affiliate links. This means that if you purchase an item through my affiliate link, I may receive a % of commission at no extra cost to you. This helps support me, my family and my blog to bring you great content for free!

Fun and Accessible Activities for Students with Low Dexterity

1. Swipe & Sort

Instead of requiring your students to pick up and place objects… lay out laminated cards with colors, shapes, or letters. Then, let them swipe them into different bins. It’s a simple way to work on sorting without needing a strong grasp.

2. Blow & Sort

Use a straw to blow lightweight pom-poms into different color-coded areas. This adds a sensory element while also encouraging breath control.

3. Sticky Wall Matching

Tape contact paper to a wall, sticky side out, and provide foam shapes or letters to press onto the surface. Your students can then use their whole hand to push them into place rather than focusing on a precise grip.

4. Paint in a Bag

Fill a ziplock bag with paint, seal it, and tape it to a table or wall. Your students can “write” letters or make shapes by pressing their fingers or palms onto the surface, giving them sensory feedback without requiring a firm grip.

5. Mega Stack Sorting

Use large pool noodle pieces or oversized stacking rings to sort by color. These are much easier to handle than small buttons or pegs and can be dropped onto a stand.

6. Squish & Stick Matching

Print out color or letter cards, then have your students squish small balls of play dough and stick them onto the matching cards. It’s a great way to work on hand strength without the stress of precise placement.

7. Magnet Slide Match

Use a large magnetic wand to slide letter tiles or color tokens into their correct spots on a cookie sheet. This allows for movement without requiring a tight grasp.

8. Fishing for Colors

Create a simple fishing game using foam fish with letters or colors. Your students can then use a rod with a magnet or even just a looped string to “catch” their matches.

9. Drop & Roll Sorting

Use a small ramp or slide and let students drop small balls or objects at the top, rolling them into matching color bins. This adds movement and makes sorting more interactive.

10. Mystery Box Pull

Place large fabric letters or shapes in a box with a hole cut out. Let your students reach in and pull out one at a time to match to a larger set. This removes the need for a tight grasp while still encouraging sorting skills.

11. Water Painting

Let your students “paint” shapes or letters onto a sidewalk or chalkboard with a sponge or large brush dipped in water. No need to worry about precision—just movement and fun.

12. Scooping Sort

Use a large spoon or scoop to transfer small objects (like pom-poms) into matching bins. This supports hand-eye coordination while removing the need for a pincer grasp.

13. Animal Walks + Shapes

Tape large shapes onto the floor and call out one for kids to stomp, crawl, or hop to. This builds movement into learning while keeping it engaging.

14. Balloon Bat Matching

Tape color or letter cards to the wall, then have your students gently bat a balloon toward the correct match. A great way to work on coordination without fine motor pressure.

15. Big Tape Peel-Off

Write your student’s name or a set of letters on a table with washi tape and have them peel off the tape, letter by letter. It’s a sneaky way to build hand strength!

16. Giant LEGO Letter Sort

Label large DUPLO bricks with colors or letters and have your students stack matching ones together. The larger size makes it easier to handle than traditional blocks.

17. Car Wash Letter Hunt

Hide foam letters in a bin of soapy water and let your students “wash” them clean before matching them to a name puzzle.

18. Animal Track Stamping

Dip toy animals in paint and stamp them along pre-drawn paths to match colors or letters. This removes the need for gripping a brush while still encouraging fine motor movement.

19. Rolling Pin Writing

Tape paper to a table, dip a rolling pin in paint, and roll over lines, letters, or numbers to reinforce wrist movement.

20. Drum & Tap Letters

Spread out letter or shape cards and have your students use a drumstick or mallet to tap the one you call out. This works great for students who enjoy rhythm and movement.

These activities remove the pressure of grasping small objects or making precise movements, allowing your students to participate fully and build their motor skills in a way that feels natural to them. Every students develops at their own pace, and the most important thing is to make it fun—because when students are engaged, they’re learning without even realizing it.

Try a few of these out and see what works best for your student(s)! Let me know what you’ve tried and what’s been a hit in your classroom—I’d love to hear what’s working for you.

If you found this blog post helpful please consider sharing it with your friends and colleagues on social media.

P.S. Have you signed up for a 3 day free trial of my VIP membership yet? If not, click here to do it now and go and get access to a huge range of resources, templates, crafts and more for free.

Nikki