What are Fine Motor Skills?
Fine motor skills can be defined as coordination of small muscle movements which occur e.g., in the fingers, usually in coordination with the eyes. In application to motor skills of hands (and fingers) the term dexterity is commonly used.The abilities which involve the use of hands, develop over time, starting with primitive gestures such as grabbing at objects to more precise activities that involve precise hand-eye coordination. Fine motor skills, are skills that involve a refined use of the small muscles controlling the hand, fingers, and thumb. The development of these skills allows one to be able to complete tasks such as writing, drawing, and buttoning.
What is the proper way to hold a pencil? To teach the correct way to hold your pencil, watch this short video. In the classroom, we also use the verbal cue "three finger pinch" to remind the students of the proper way to hold a writing tool.
Activities to Promote Fine Motor Development
Fine Motor Activities for the Home- These activities help to develop grasp patterns, fine motor control, and hand strength
- -Hide small objects in side playdoh, theraputty that the child has to pull apart to find the object. (to vary hide objects in rice/beans, sand or popcorn kernal mixture in a bucket)
- - Place coins in a bank
- -Wiggle fingers - Can have fingers on one hand “talk” to fingers on the other hand (Use finger puppets)
- -Use tweezrs or long tongs (salad or toaster tongs) to pick up small objects from the floor or table : Some games using tweezers are Operation and Bed Bugs
- -Use legos/duplos, bristle blocks, Mr. Potato Head to encourage lateral and radial pinch
- -Play pick up sticks
- -Break crayons in half or use cone shaped markers or crayons to color on a vertical surface (easel, paper taped to a wall, slant board) to encourage proper pencil grasp
- -Popping bubble wrap with fingers
- -Stringing larger beads using pipecleaners for string
- - Use puzzles with knobs
- - Use shape sorters and puzzle pieces to encourage rotatng and manipulating objects in your hand
- -Stack blocks into a tower to knock over (use varying sized blocks and for better control, wrap small one inch blocks with velco)
- -Spin tops
- -Squirt or water guns
- -Practice using turkey basters and eye droppers. Provide water colored with food dye and a container to transfer the water between or put dots on a piece of paper
- -Make a collage using stickers that the child needs to peel apart and place
- -Using scissors to snip thinker sheets of paper (construction paper, manilla folders) and playdoh or theraputty
- -Swing from a trapeze, monkey bars or climbing a ladder
- -Encourage crawling or wheel barrow walking a distnace of 8-10 feet to allow for wieght bearing into the hands
- -Painting or writing on a vertical surface (easel or tape paper to a wall) This will encourage and promote correct pencil grasp
- -Swimming
- -Encourage the child to hold onto the ropes on a swing at the playground for extended periods of time (10 minutes)
- -Use marbles to roll through piping or razzles
Need ideas to work on at home
Lisa Marnell is an OT that created the page
Kids Master Skills
She has created several home packets that to download and print to complete at home. These packet cover:
Pencil Control
Sight Words
Handwriting
Scissor Skills
Writing Skills
*clink on the image to access Kids Master Skills webpage
www.artforkidshub.com/
Learn to Draw!
Welcome to Art For Kids Hub!
Here you’ll find all kinds of art lessons for kids, including how to draw for kids, even painting and origami for kids.
*My daughter loves these videos!
Learn to Draw!
Welcome to Art For Kids Hub!
Here you’ll find all kinds of art lessons for kids, including how to draw for kids, even painting and origami for kids.
*My daughter loves these videos!