Need an a activity for preschoolers and school aged kids that involves no prep? This is one that will work. One item activity with clothespins will get the fine motor skills working and the creativity flowing.

Jamie at hands on: as we grow inspired me to think up a whole list of one item activities that require zero prep time when she shared a clever fine motor activity using paper clips. It is genius!

I decided to give the kids my clothespins to explore. Yep, clothespins! This is my first installment in a new group of activities I am calling the “One Item Activity” Series. They are created using items or locations that we all have access to, and require minimal to no preparation time.
Clothespin activity for preschoolers and school age kids.

One Item Activity with Clothespins

I set out my coffee can of wooden clothespins (the kind with the spring in the middle) that I have had since my days teaching. My 6 year old asked, “What can we do with these?” I responded, “What ideas can you think of?” Here is what they came up with for the clothespins.
My oldest boy decided to clip the clothespins around the plastic lid of the coffee can. He placed them all around and then said he made a cake. From that point, my 6 year old and 3 year old made a “chain” of clothespins clipping them together to make the chain as long as they could.

Creative Activities with Clothespins

We counted the clothespins as they clipped them together. They made shapes with them as well. All-in-all, my son and daughter spent about 30 minutes exploring, pinching, and connecting the clothespins. You can always add other craft or play items into the activity as well to extend-construction paper, pieces of ribbon, an emptyegg carton. There are always more possibilities!

After this, my two oldest were back to playing with our set of DIY jumbo building blocks. I guess those count as a “One Item” Activity too! Of course there are so many ways to use clothespins in learning activities. I have quite a few pinned to my Preschool Activities board on Pinterest.

Do you have any one item activity ideas that have been interesting to your children? 

Share them below so we can all try them!
Photo of clothespins text reads One Item Activity Series Clothespins. Multiple activities for kids using only clothespins as the supply in the one item activity series.Subscribe here to receive weekly updates plus snippets of mom motivation via email. Join with me and other moms over on Facebook.

Activity for kids: One Items Activity with Clothespins.
One item activity with clothespins.