Fine motor skills play an important part of any child’s life, facilitating their ability to perform self-care tasks like getting dressed, eating, and drawing, as well as supporting healthy academic outcomes for when they begin school. Oftentimes kids learn fine motor skills in preschool and on through elementary, however, as a mother there are easy ways for you to practice fine motor skills with your kids at home too.
What exactly are fine motor skills? Good question! Skills kids learn which involve the movement of small muscles and tendons in their hands qualify as fine motor skills – the ability to complete small, precise tasks like buttoning a shirt, holding a pencil, using scissors, opening a closed clasp, pulling a zipper, turning a knob, and so forth. Not only do kids need to learn how to use their hands efficiently for such tasks, but they develop the cognition and coordination to do things like:
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Use two hands together (bilateral integration)
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Coordinate the hands and eyes to work together
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Use some fingers and not others (hand division), i.e. pinching something with the thumb, index, and middle finger and not the pinky and ring finger
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Skillfully control tools like toothbrushes, scissors, and cutlery (object manipulation)
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Recognize the imaginary line separating the left and right sides of the body (crossing midline)
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Exert power from the hands and fingers against an opposing force
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Accurately manipulate movements via brain feedback from the muscles and joints
Fine Motor Activities for Kids
The great thing about practicing fine motor skills with kids is that it requires a ton of FUN activities and games! Don’t miss this helpful list:
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Practice velcroing and un-velcroing
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Thread string through beads
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Use tweezers or tongs to pick up objects on the ground (marbles, pencils, etc)
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Play with therapy putty and make exercising fun again
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Practice opening and closing jars
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Craft often with small components like pipe cleaners, sticky jewels, yarn, and buttons
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Open a padlock with a key
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Turn knobs (faucets, door, etc)
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Place clothespins on a line and take them off again
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Play a game of Jenga
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Use toys that require building like Legos or Lincoln Logs
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Try fine motor games like Connect 4 or Pick up Sticks
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Practice threading a belt through pant loops and clasping it
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Have your child practice clicking their car seat strap closed
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Button and unbutton clothing
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Flip light switches on and off
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Press small buttons (on a calculator, phone, etc)
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Practice tying shoes
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Open and hook a carabiner on a small keychain
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Put a keychain on a hook and take it off again
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Use tools to remove screws, nails, lug nuts, etc.
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Put puzzles together
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Drop shape blocks into their appropriate holes
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Open and close doors (cabinets, for example)
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Practice moving small amounts of water with eye droppers, spoons, etc.
The list goes on and on, so get creative and have fun with your kids! Some parents even go so far as to build fine motor boards or busy boards for their kids which feature a wide, flat piece of plywood with a bunch of fine motor activities tacked right on it like velcro strips, stickers, zippers, locks, knobs, etc.
Not only do fine motor skills help your kids develop through growing strong brain cells and communication pathways between those brain cells, but it also gives them the confidence to succeed as they get older and become more independent. Everything from being able to turn a page in a book to drawing, learning to write, eating, dressing, and accomplishing needed computer skills rely on mastering fine motor skills.
If you notice your child struggling, becoming frustrated, or feeling apprehensive about taking on fine motor tasks, give them more encouragement and help them practice, practice, practice. In the event you want to seek therapeutic intervention, don’t fret! Equipping your child with the tools and skills they need to succeed will always be in their best interest.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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