What's not to love about the circus? Kids especially, will love any activity related to the circus, and this Circus Ticket Tearing activity was no exception. Trust me, your kids will go crazy when you give them a whole roll of tickets that they are allowed and encouraged to tear apart! You don't even have to tell them how much they're developing their fine motor skills while they play. That part can be our little secret.
I set this up for my girls on Monday, at the beginning of our Circus Themed Home Preschool Week, and they each chose to play with it on their own every day for the rest of the week, so I'd say it was a hit.
This
post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. If you use these
links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Click here for my full privacy and disclosure policies.
I set this up for my girls on Monday, at the beginning of our Circus Themed Home Preschool Week, and they each chose to play with it on their own every day for the rest of the week, so I'd say it was a hit.
You'll need a roll of tickets. I found mine at a party supply store for only $4. They also carry tickets at office supply stores, or you could buy some from Amazon (the most inexpensive I could fine were these.) I purposefully chose some that were 'double' tickets so that they could be torn off the roll and down the middle.
Make a collection container. I used an empty snack-pack type cup. A frosting or nut can, or a cottage cheese or sour cream container would work well, too. You basically need something with a lid that is thin enough for you to cut through easily. Next, decorate a piece of paper to tape around your container. I made a simple circus tent design. I thought about making a printable for you, but then realized that we'd all have different sized containers. It was so simple to make -- you can do it, I promise!
Next, cut a small slit in the top of the container. I used regular scissors, and that worked fine, but you could use an X-acto knife if you have one. Make it small enough that it will be challenging for your kids to insert the tickets.
Give the tickets and the collection container to your child. Show them how to tear off the tickets, tear them apart, and put them in through the slit. It took my girls a little while to get the hang of tearing along the perforations, but once they did they loved this activity! It builds little hand muscles, develops fine motor skills, and works on hand-eye coordination.
You can also use this activity to practice counting and other math skills. 2-year-old Maggie and I practiced one-to-one correspondence, and 4-year-old Lena and I worked on skip counting by 2s using the pairs of tickets along the roll.
See more fun circus activities by following Cutting Tiny Bites on Pinterest, or check out the circus theme board below.