Farm Printable
Need a zero prep activity that covers a LOT of skills? This Farm Printable is free and you can download it at the bottom of this post. You can challenge your student’s skills all with this one-page black and white activity page with a farm theme!
WHAT SKILLS DO YOU WANT TO IMPROVE WITH THIS FREE FARM PRINTABLE?
This free farm coloring page helps kids work on the following skills:
- Fine motor skills
- Gross motor skills
- Handwriting
- Visual motor skills
- Visual spatial skills
- visual discrimination
- figure ground skills
HOW DO YOU COMPLETE THIS ACTIVITY?
All you have to do is print the farm animal PDF to start. Explain to the children that is like a farm scavenger hunt printable activity.
Provide each student with crayons, markers, or colored pencils.
Begin with having the student move like the animals listed at the top of the page – COW HORSE SHEEP DOG DUCK PIG CHICKEN.
The next step is to find each object pictured and color it in.
After you color in the object, trace over the word.
Find all 5 objects and write the words to complete this activity.
Farm Themed Fine Motor and Visual Motor Activities
HOW TO GET ACCESS TO THE FREE FARM PRINTABLE
All you need to do is follow these three steps to access the printable page for preschoolers, kindergarten students, elementary and homeschool students:
- Sign up to receive the emails from Your Therapy Source. If you already get our emails, you can enter your email in the box. You will not be subscribed twice.
- You will be redirected to download the PDF format file of the printable activity.
- Print or screen share the activity.
OTHER WAYS TO COMPLETE THE FARM PRINTABLE
Here are a few options to modify or differentiate this free printable farm animals worksheet:
- Print on cardstock paper and laminate it. Use wipe-off markers to write on the free printable.
- Screen share the activity on the board so the whole class can do it without having to print the activity. Use a laser pointer to let the kids find the animals and write the words on different paper.
- Make it easier by pointing to the general area to find the different objects
- Make it more difficult by: encouraging the kids to write down more animals and objects they see on a different piece of paper
- Add in more physical activity by: having the kids find other ways to move. Can they balance like a scarecrow? Move like a tractor? Pretend to pull a heavy wagon? Bend like a rainbow?
WHY ARE THESE SKILLS IMPORTANT FOR THE CHILDREN TO PRACTICE WITH THIS FREE PRINTABLE?
Here are more details about this free farm animal print out and why the skills are important to practice.
FINE MOTOR SKILLS
Fine motor skills refer to the ability to control small muscles in the hands and fingers. For example in this activity, the children have to: pick up their pencils and crayons to use.
Fine motor skills develop throughout childhood and continue to improve into adulthood. They are important for activities such as writing, typing, cooking, and using other tools. There are many ways to improve fine motor skills, including occupational therapy, targeted exercises, and adaptive devices. Get more fine motor activity ideas.
GROSS MOTOR SKILLS
Gross motor skills are the ability to use large muscles to complete tasks. Examples of gross motor skills include walking, running, jumping, climbing, and throwing.
For example, in this activity, the children have to: jump, run, hop, and balance like different animals.
These skills develop during childhood and continue to improve into adolescence. Gross motor skills are important for daily living activities, such as getting dressed or going up and down stairs. They also play a role in sports and other recreational activities. gross motor skills can be difficult for some children to develop. However, there are many resources and activities available to help those who struggle. Physical therapists can assess gross motor skills and provide strategies for improvement. With practice and guidance, gross motor skills can be improved as children grow and develop. Get more gross motor activity ideas.
VISUAL MOTOR SKILLS
Visual motor skills are the ability to use information from our visual system to guide our motor system. This can include skills such as catching a ball, writing, drawing, and cutting with scissors. Visual motor skills involve the coordination of both large and small muscles.
For example, in this activity the children have to: color in the different objects.
Additionally, visual motor skills develop over time – infants and toddlers typically have poorer visual motor skills than school-aged children or adults.There are many ways to improve visual motor skills, such as by playing sports, engaging in crafts, or participating in other activities that require coordination and fine motor skills. Anyone can benefit from improving their visual motor skills! Get more visual motor activity ideas.
Visual Motor Exercises – Long Mazes to Practice Pencil Control
VISUAL SCANNING SKILLS
Visual scanning skills refer to the ability to look at a visual display and take in the information quickly and efficiently. This can be useful in a variety of settings, from reading a book to finding a specific item in a store.
For example, in this activity children have to: find the different farm animals and the tractor.
There are a few key things that can help improve visual scanning skills. First, it is important to learn how to focus and maintain attention on the task at hand. Second, it can be helpful to practice “chunking” information, which means breaking down a visual display into smaller pieces and taking them in one at a time. Practicing visual scanning can help you to be able to quickly process information and make decisions based on what is seen. With some practice, visual scanning skills can be improved, making it easier to locate specific visual information. Read more about visual scanning activities.
MOTOR PLANNING SKILLS
Motor planning skills are the ability to plan and execute motor tasks. This includes the ability to come up with a motor plan, carry out the motor plan, and monitor the motor task.
For example, in this activity the children have to: figure out how to move their body like different animals.
Motor planning skills are important for everyday activities such as getting dressed, brushing teeth, and cooking meals. Motor planning skills can be affected by many different factors, including ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, sensory processing disorder, and cerebral palsy. There are many different ways to help develop and improve motor planning skills. Some interventions that can be used to help develop motor planning skills include occupational therapy and physical therapy. Read more on practicing motor planning.
Move Like Me – Motor Planning, Coordination and Body Awareness
HANDWRITING
Handwriting is still an important skill especially important for young children, who are still developing their ability to form letters and fine motor skills. Handwriting can also help to boost memory and concentration. It is a wonderful form of self-expression.
In the activity, the children are working on the following aspects of handwriting: letter sizing, letter spacing, and letter formation.
Whether you are writing a letter to a friend, filling out a job application, or keeping a journal, your handwriting says something about who you are. Check out all these handwriting resources.
VISUAL DISCRIMINATION SKILLS
Visual discrimination skills are the ability to see visual differences between similar objects. For example, in simple terms being able to tell the difference between a circle and a square. These skills develop throughout childhood and continue to improve into adulthood. Visual discrimination skills are important for many everyday activities such as reading, writing, and driving. They can also help with problem-solving and critical thinking.
For example, in this activity the children are working on: finding the exact sunflower, fish, and sheep.
Read more about visual discrimination skills.
WHEN IS A GOOD TIME TO USE THIS FARM PRINTABLE ACTIVITY?
The free printable is great to use for:
- Fine Motor stations
- Gross Motor stations
- Brain breaks
- Early finishers
- Occupational Therapy Session
- Physical Therapy Session
- Carry over activities at home
- School breaks
- Anytime kids need some extra motor skill practice!
Need more ideas like this one? Try the FREE Farm Color By Number Printables.
DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE COPY OF THE FARM PRINTABLE HERE
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