Sinterklaas Gifts for the Classroom Plus a Fine Motor Skills Box

For children, a gift is especially fun because it’s something new to discover. For you as a teacher, it can also provide something extra: material to stimulate fine motor skills in the classroom.

That's why I've put together three special collections with small, motor-skill-focused gifts. From a shoe gift for less than €1, a set with suggestions between €4 and €5, to a more elaborate gift from €5 to €8.

And for all three: you're not just buying a set of gift suggestions, but a fine motor skills box for your classroom that you'll enjoy all year round.

Fine motor skills material that you can use directly in the classroom, together with the children. For you, it's an opportunity to try out toys, but also to gain valuable insights into what children enjoy playing with. This way, you can make a good choice for a gift in December.

Shoe Gifts Under €1

Is the budget for the shoe gift small? No problem!

Even for less than one euro, there are surprisingly many options to give children something fun and motorically valuable.

Some gifts can be ordered individually. Then it exactly matches the number of children in the class. But sometimes it can be more cost-effective to buy play material in a set. You might have a few too many gifts, like puzzle games or pull strings, but those can then be nicely added to the classroom’s fine motor skills box.

Small price, big opportunities to discover, feel, and move.

Gifts from €4 to €5

The Sinterklaas gift is always an exciting affair. How this is handled varies greatly from school to school: sometimes all children in the lower grades receive the same thing, sometimes it's per class, and sometimes differences are even made within a class.

In all cases, it's nice to be able to make a good choice easily. So, testing and trying things out, both yourself and seeing what appeals to the children.

With this set, you can easily find the right gift for your group. Think of materials that invite squeezing, turning, pulling, manipulating, or actively using hands in other ways.

Here too, the principle of killing two birds with one stone applies: a fun Sinterklaas gift and at the same time a fine motor skills set for the classroom.

Gifts from €5 to €8

The budget also varies greatly per school. Hence, a large selection of suggestions in this price range as well.

Play material that they already enthusiastically play with at school, but then receive as their own gift to take home, is quite special. No more sharing or taking turns, but having their own copy.

By repeatedly performing motor movements, they become automated. This is important for development.

And here too, with this set, you have a fine motor skills box for the entire year in the classroom!

First Test, Then Use in the Classroom

That is perhaps the best advantage of this approach.

You don't need to know beforehand which fine motor skills material perfectly suits your group.

The children will discover it themselves. For Sinterklaas, you'll immediately have a better idea of what's popular. You can filter the material suitable as a gift effectively, but everything then goes into your fine motor skills box.

This way, you instantly have a fine motor skills set that is challenging and offers a lot of variety for your students.

Playing is Practicing Without Feeling Like Practice

Fine motor skills require repetition. Children need many opportunities to practice movements and gain better control over them.

With suitable toys, they can playfully work on, for example:

• hand and finger strength

• pincer grasp and gripping function

• hand-eye coordination

• two-handed cooperation

• manipulating small objects

• movement planning

• regulating force

• concentration and task focus

And that's precisely what makes motor-stimulating toys so valuable in the classroom. Children are playing, while continuously using important motor skills.

Choosing a Sinterklaas Gift with One Smart Idea

Order a Sinterklaas gift suggestion set as a fine motor skills box for your classroom. You’ll get to know the toys yourself and can try them out, and so can your students.

Discover what they enjoy, what they reach for repeatedly, and what they look forward to. Then choosing a gift will be easy.

Once the materials are together in the classroom, you immediately have a great addition to your fine motor skills toys.

Win-win!