What are Fine Motor Skills?
Fine motor skills are the movement and coordination of the small muscles in the wrists, hands, fingers and thumbs. These tasks include writing, coloring, cutting, fastening buttons, and zipping and tying shoelaces. Fine motor skills are crucial for all sorts of activities, be they academic, functional or recreational.
The development of these small muscles are paramount, which is why it is important encourage activities that strengthen these skills. The development of fine motor skills will help your child gain confidence and learn to be more independent. Weakness in fine motor skills can affect tasks such as getting dressed, eating, using the phone, writing, or turning the page in a book.
How Do You Develop Fine Motor Skills?
Some practical ways to help your child develop these skills include:
- Crafts
- Helping prepare meals
- Finger Painting
- Setting the Table
- Puzzles
- Playing with small blocks
- Drawing and Coloring
- Sorting Objects
- Playing with play dough
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10 Activities to Build Fine Motor Skills
Here are 10 simple activities that will help develop fine motor skills – ones which don’t require too many materials or excessive preparation! These activities can be done at home, during quiet time (before or after nap), during playtime or even in the classroom during free choice time. If you like, you can organize them into small containers and put them in your morning busy bins to keep your students occupied. When you see an activity you like, click on the image and you will be directed to the original post with activity instructions.
10 Activities to Build Fine Motor Skills
- Zig Zags, Swirls, and Squiggles with Buttons from Learning4Kids
- Button Stacking from The Chaos and the Clutter
- Pom-Pom Whisk from Teaching Littles
- Connect the Stickers from Toddler Approved
- Pasta Threading from Laughing Kids Learn
- Cardboard Tube Challenge from Laughing Kids Learn
- Nuts and Bolts from Pocket of Preschool
- Pom-Pom Transfer from Mombrite
- Fine Motor Cutting Box from Sarah J Creations
- Play Dough and Rocks from The OT Toolbox
Fine Motor Activity Essentials
Here are a few essentials that you might find helpful for developing fine motor skills. Some of these items you may already have around the house or in your school building. You can store all these items in a container and make your own fine motor kit!
We really hope you find these activities useful! If you’ve tried any of these activities or plan to implement one, feel free to comment below to let us know which one you used. Don’t forget to tag us in your photos or posts if you share it on social media!
Are you looking for more ideas? Click below to follow our fine motor Pinterest board for more ideas!
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