Fine motor skills describe the body's ability to move small muscles such as the fingers, toes, lips, tongue and wrists. These are fundamental to engage in smaller, more precise and exact movements.
Boost your child's fine motor skills development with the following activities:
- Clothespin drops
Picking up small objects, such as buttons with a wooden clothespin, and placing them inside of a bottle develops coordination and precision. For younger children, use a container with a larger opening.
- Drum beats
Play easy sound patterns for your child to listen and imitate using wooden sticks or clapping hands.
- Fill the tube
Use recycled paper towel rolls to create a long tube and ask your child to place cotton balls or other small objects inside.
- Egg carton sorting
Allow your child to sort small objects inside of an egg carton (such as beans or cereal).
- Shaping hands
Create different shapes with your hands such as a heart, triangle, and letters. Ask your child to mimic your moves.
- Wrapping rubber bands
Ask your child to place different size and color rubber bands around a bottle or can.
- Making a collage
Demonstrate to your child how to use their thumb, index finger and middle fingers to rip different sized pieces of paper to create a collage. Use paper with images of shapes, numbers and letters.
- Finger puppets
Demonstrate to your child how to use their thumb, index finger and middle fingers to rip different sized pieces of paper to create a collage. Use paper with images of shapes, numbers and letters.
