Wooden Sticks

This material is suitable for younger children.

We use wooden sticks for activities aimed at developing fine motor skills and logical thinking in children. The sticks can be sorted by color and shape, or used to build various constructions. What kind of sticks can be used for the activity? You can use a set of counting sticks, which are small and colorful. Alternatively, you can use regular ice cream sticks, but they should be painted in different colors. It’s best to use acrylic paint. You will need different-sized brushes and water to dilute the paint. Acrylic paints dry quickly and create bright, vibrant shades. Teach children to paint the sticks evenly, without applying a thick layer of paint. A soft brush with short bristles works best. A good brush helps create smooth and even colored surfaces. For young children, painting the sticks is a fun bonus to the learning activity. If you don’t want to spend too much time, ice cream sticks can be colored with regular markers. The coloring process is simple, and it’s better if the sticks are different colors. Markers are a great option for those who prefer speed and simplicity. Be sure to let the sticks dry after each layer of paint to avoid smudging. If the stick has dents, it’s best to smooth it out with sandpaper so the surface becomes even and smooth. Let the children use their imagination and experiment with different colors. Drawing helps develop the child’s creative potential. Through the colors they choose, children can express their impressions of the world around them and convey their feelings about it.

Games with stick layouts

For example, creating geometric shapes. Introduce the concept of geometry. Assemble a square, triangle, rectangle, trapezoid, or polygon. First, show the children how to follow a pattern. Separately create a triangle, rectangle, and so on using the sticks. During the tasks, explain to the child the name of each figure. Lay out several shapes with the sticks at the same time. The teacher assists visually impaired children, possibly using the “hand-over-hand” method. Ask the children: Why can’t you make a circle or oval from straight sticks? To keep them engaged, accompany each shape with a story. For example, a triangle has three angles, three sides, and the roof of a house looks like a triangle. This helps the children form an auditory image of the shape.

Task: make two equal triangles from 6 sticks.
Create images using colorful sticks. For instance, make a rocket using a triangle, square, and trapezoid. Count how many sticks are needed for the image. These exercises help children develop construction skills and solidify their understanding of geometric elements.

Puzzle: How to make two equal triangles from five sticks?
Children need to figure out that they should connect one triangle to another. The two triangles will share one side.

Another puzzle: make two equal squares from 7 sticks. At first, children may try to make two separate squares, but this will result in 8 sides instead of 7. The solution is to connect the two squares so that they share one side.

Task: make a square and two equal triangles from 5 sticks.
Make a square and divide it with one stick into two equal triangles.

Task: make a sailboat from 14 sticks (or slightly fewer).
Play is the leading activity for small children. By playing with sticks, children learn new things. Such games help develop counting skills, fine motor skills, and imagination.