How to help a child develop fine motor skills
10 Ways to Improve Children’s Fine Motor Skills
The development of fine motor skills (or dexterity) is an essential part of a child’s upbringing. By learning how to use small muscles in places like their hands, fingers, wrists and eyes, children strengthen their nervous system to write, turn pages, hold items, type on a keyboard and other useful tasks.
At Little Lukes Preschool & Childcare Center, we believe it is imperative that children practice fine motor skills not only to prepare for kindergarten but also to prepare them for life. Together, parents and teachers can support children’s unique paths to increase dexterity.
No matter the child’s current ability, whether he is ahead of his preschool class or requires more support, these 10 tips to build fine motor skills are bound to help your child’s kindergarten readiness.
1.
Allow your child to help with meals
Whether it be setting the table, using silverware, pouring a glass of milk or
measuring ingredients, your child is strengthening necessary, little muscles.
2.
Allow children to try getting dressed on their own
Give them the chance to zip, button and fasten
their own clothing.
3.
Encourage painting
Finger-painting, along with using a brush to
paint, are both great ways to improve grip and finger movement.
4.
Encourage writing and drawing
Give children as many opportunities as
possible to write their names, or just draw and scribble with crayons
throughout the day to enhance coordinated wrist and eye movement.
5.
Play board games and puzzles with them
Why not have fun and spend quality time with
children while also helping their synchronization of muscles? These activities
not only help build motor skills but also develop the critical thinking process.
6.
Create with Play-Doh
Play-Doh gives your child the creativity to
create shapes and figures while also giving them essential movements for
development.
7.
Teach them to tie their shoes
Every morning, teach children the movements to
tying their shoes and keep the routine consistent.
8.
Allow children to practice cutting with scissors
Give children a piece of paper with an outline
of a shape or several shapes printed onto it. Ask the children to follow the
outline with a pair of child-safe scissors.
9.
Let them play with blocks
Allow your children to create their own
masterpiece out of building blocks. Cleaning up the tiny pieces also reinforces
muscle memory and ensures you won’t step on a block later.
10. Spell out words
Print out the entire alphabet and cut out each
letter individually. Attach one clothespin to each letter. After doing this,
find a space in your house that you can tape both sides of a 4 to 5ft thin
piece of string latterly.
Allow children to place the clothespin letters on the
string to spell out words to encourage eye and hand coordination.
These everyday activities can greatly influence your child’s development. Children are curious and love to do things that adults do, so take advantage of this! If children consistently try at home and in the classroom to develop small muscle coordination, their dexterity will keep improving!
Little Lukes Preschool & Childcare Center is a leading Syracuse daycare provider with five locations. The early education program includes credentialed and caring staff that specializes in comprehensive infant, toddler and pre-kindergarten development. Additional services include pediatric speech therapy, pediatric physical therapy and pediatric occupational therapy.
Schedule a
tour today by emailing [email protected]
or calling (315) 342-4600 to experience the Little Lukes difference for
yourself.
Improving Fine Motor Skills | USAHS
Fine motor skills are what allow us to use the small muscle groups in the hands, fingers, and wrists in a controlled way. Humans begin demonstrating these skills in infancy, when we learn to grasp our parents’ fingers and, later, toys. We continue developing them during the toddler to school-age years, which are such a critical time for physical and cognitive growth. And of course, we continue to refine them throughout our lives.
Cultivating fine motor control at a young age helps set people up for success personally, socially, and academically—so it’s important for parents to help children master them. In this post, discover the benefits of working on fine motor skills with kids—plus ways you can help your child improve their abilities using the printable activities below.
Benefits of Building Fine Motor Skills for Kids
Building fine motor skills helps children strengthen their muscles and coordination.
Clinical practice can also help them develop independence as they learn to complete personal hygiene tasks, play musical instruments, use utensils, write, and draw. Below are just a few of the benefits of promoting fine motor development early on.
1. Helps children learn to use tools
Children need fine motor skills in order to use tools like writing implements or scissors, or to manipulate small items like buttons or zippers. As these skills develop, children will be able to do more fine motor tasks on their own, which will help their continued cognitive and physical growth.
2. Improves hand-eye coordination
In many cases, it takes visual input to effectively manipulate any small object with the hands. Without the ability to coordinate hand and eye movements, people would be unable to perform the simplest actions. To catch a ball, place objects, play games, and write, children must develop hand-eye coordination.
3. Helps children become more independent and confident
When children struggle with performing any fine motor activity, they can become frustrated and upset.
But as they grow to better understand how their bodies work, and as their hands and finger muscles become stronger, they can complete more fine motor tasks on their own. Children who can grasp, hold, and pinch will soon be able to brush their own teeth and tie their own shoes. They also feel a confidence boost as their independence grows.
4. Promotes cognitive development
Improved fine motor control may be a pathway to increased academic performance in young children. Multiple studies have shown that the child’s fine motor skills are involved in the development of cognitive abilities. Researchers at the University of Nottingham School of Psychology in the UK found that fine motor skills were a significant predictor of mathematical abilities in preschool-aged students.
Printables to Help Build Fine Motor Skills
Including a fun fine motor activity in your child’s daily routine is a great way to help them improve their fine motor coordination. Printable activities can naturally engage children’s creativity and manual dexterity.
Below are four summer-themed activities for preschoolers that involve coloring, cutting, tracing, and placing objects, intended to help your child work on their motor skills through play. Download and enjoy!
Sea Animals Coloring Printable
Using crayons or markers to color can help strengthen and stabilize wrist muscles. Using tools like scissors can develop hand strength and hand-eye coordination.
Ice Cream Cone Grid Drawing Printable
Grid drawing helps children with their fine motor practice as well as their observational and drawing skills. Compartmentalizing the drawing into smaller units also helps children understand how shapes relate to each other proportionally and how to more keenly observe detail.
Beach Trip Line Tracing Printable
Line tracing is a great exercise for children who are just starting to print their letters. By tracing the lines on this sheet, children can increase their fine motor strength through writing.
Rainbow Placement Printable
Working to pick up, grasp, and place small objects (such as buttons) can be a valuable precursor to writing. This process strengthens small muscles and engages hand-eye coordination.
Working on fine motor skill activities is a fun way for children to develop the skills they need to succeed. However, many children struggle with these skills at first, due to neurological or physical differences. If this describes your child, it may be helpful to see an occupational therapist (OT), who can assess any fine motor skills development issues and work with your child on activities customized to their particular needs.
How to Improve Fine Motor Skills as an Adult
Adults who suffer neurological injuries from stroke or other causes may experience loss of or damage to fine motor skills. OTs work with adults to help them improve their fine motor coordination so they can regain the ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs), such as dressing, bathing, brushing teeth, etc.
The following are some good fine motor activities for adults:
- Drawing
- Folding clothes or hanging them with a clothespin
- Squeezing Play-Doh, clay, or pastry dough
- Opening bottles and containers
- Using scissors
- Threading objects onto a string
- Sorting and stacking coins
Using fine motor skills is an important aspect of independent living. Occupational therapists can help people across the lifespan improve or master these skills by diagnosing the problem and developing an effective treatment plan.
The University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS) offers hands-on Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) and Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) degrees. Practice with mock patients in our state-of-the-art simulation centers and learn anatomy with our high-tech tools. Prepare for clinical practice with patients across the lifespan, as well as advanced roles in research, practice leadership, and policymaking.
Residential and Flex (online/weekend) paths are available. We also offer an online Post-Professional Doctor of Occupational Therapy (PPOTD) program designed for working clinicians and healthcare educators, with optional on-campus immersions and an annual interprofessional trip abroad.
How to develop fine motor skills in a child
Today we will look at what fine motor skills are, its features, ways of development using games and toys as examples, as well as the optimal age to start its development. Why is this issue getting so much attention? Let's figure it out together.
Article content:
- What is fine motor skills
- Features of the development of fine motor skills
- Games and exercises aimed at developing fine motor skills
- Lessons for the development of fine motor skills in children
- Fine motor toys
- At what age should you develop fine motor skills
- Terminals
What is fine motor skills
Fine motor skills are the sequence and precision of movements required to perform various actions with small objects using the hands, fingers and toes.
Fine motor skills can be traced in children from an early age, when they are just learning to hold a toy. First comes the development of the hand, finger movements, then the formation of speech is formed. The formation of speech through the development of fine motor skills occurs due to the influence of nerve endings on the brain regions responsible for motor skills and speech, which are located next to each other.
In addition to the main function - the development of speech - fine motor skills affect the development of mental processes: thinking, memory, imagination, ability to orientate in space.
Features of the development of fine motor skills
The ability to master fine motor skills in children does not develop by itself, that is, it does not have a hereditary factor. Of great importance in this matter are adults who, by their example, involve the child in various activities, develop him systematically and purposefully. This hypothesis was first put forward by the Russian scientist Ivan Mikhailovich Sechenov.
Subsequently, other scientists, doctors, teachers and specialists in various fields began to focus on this opinion as a key one.
Why is such attention paid to the development of fine motor skills? For children, it means the formation of basic skills and abilities.
- The speech of the child is formed, which contributes to a comfortable stay in the children's team.
- Skills of various movements are developed. The child can play with toys on his own without distracting an adult.
- Self-care skills are strengthened. The child acquires the ability to independently hold a spoon, tie shoelaces, fasten buttons and other items on clothes.
- Social bonds are established with peers and adults through the ability to communicate clearly and maintain dialogue.
- Readiness to study at school is formed in the aggregate of all the above reasons.
Games and exercises aimed at developing fine motor skills
The main activity of preschool children is play.
We have selected for you a variety of games and exercises, among which you are sure to find something that suits you and your child.
- Folding toys. We put a transparent container in front of the child and put small toys separately. We suggest putting the toys in the container with your right hand. Then we pour them back, and ask you to repeat the same steps with your left hand.
- Games with cereals. In one container, mix two types of cereals, for example, rice and buckwheat. It is necessary that the child spread these cereals into different containers. You can complicate the game by adding other small items to the cereal mixture, such as beads, buttons, pebbles.
- Paper tearing exercise. First, we draw arbitrary lines on a sheet of paper. We offer the child to tear the paper with his hands exactly along the drawn lines. You can complicate the task by depicting geometric shapes.
- Page turning exercise. As the child grows older, instead of tearing a sheet of paper, you can offer to flip through the pages of your favorite book.
This exercise also encourages the child's early interest in reading literature. - Smooth out wrinkled paper. We put a crumpled sheet of paper in front of the child and offer to smooth it so that not a single bent corner remains. You can complicate the exercise by offering to perform it with one hand, while holding the sheet with your thumb.
- Dice games. We give the task to collect various figures from cubes: a tower, a house, a car, etc. Pyramid rings are also suitable for these games. Tasks become more difficult as the child masters the construction of simple figures.
- Lacing games. Available in various options. It can also be an unnecessary shoe that can be given to the child to lace up and unlace. It can also be a card in which holes for laces are made. In any case, the actions with these items are the same and have one goal - to teach the child to cope with the laces on their own, since this skill will be useful to him in the future.
- Exercises with counting sticks.
Please lay out geometric shapes on the table. First, the child performs tasks according to the model, and then independently according to verbal instructions. An additional plus of this exercise is the formation of elementary mathematical representations. - Games with covers. Here you can offer various containers and vessels with lids that the child will independently twist and unscrew. And if you tell your child that you can’t cope without him, you will give a motive to become your main assistant.
- Finger painting in the sand. Invite the child to draw with all fingers alternately geometric shapes or any other pattern that he wishes. Interaction with sand also has a positive effect on the central nervous system.
Lessons for the development of fine motor skills in children
In addition to games for the development of fine motor skills, you should engage in a variety of activities that children will undoubtedly like:
- modeling from plasticine, clay or dough;
- drawing or coloring with paints, pencils, crayons;
- construction from kits, paper, cubes;
- crafts made of paper, natural or waste materials;
- stringing beads, buttons on a string;
- mosaic picking;
- ball games;
- peeling fruits, e.
g. tangerines; - work with special manuals-copybooks.
Fine motor toys
What could be better for a child than a new toy? Only a toy that contributes to its comprehensive development.
- Massage embossed foot mats. Ideal to use after waking up to tone the body. You can purchase a puzzle mat that he can assemble and disassemble on his own. If you want to focus on the development of cognitive skills, you can purchase a rug with numbers or letters.
- Magnets. Place the magnets on the refrigerator or a special magnetic board. The child will definitely be interested in them, and will independently move them on the surface. Depending on the goal pursued, you can purchase magnets of various shapes, for example, in the form of numbers.
- Kinetic sand. Tactilely pleasant not only for children, but also for adults. Such sand does not get your hands dirty, so it will become a favorite toy for children and an assistant for adults.
- Easel for drawing. There are options for easels on which you can draw on both sides: on the one hand - with special crayons, and on the other - with paints.
- Massage balls. Perfect for finger games. Thanks to the spikes, they actively affect the areas of the palms and fingers.
- Constructors. You can choose a set from any manufacturer. You should focus on safety for the child, age and gender. In addition to the development of fine motor skills, it stimulates the development of modeling and design skills.
- Finger Theatre. It combines the possibilities of the comprehensive development of the child. In addition, it improves the expressiveness of speech, memory, imagination, acting skills. This option should definitely be used if you notice that one hand is more developed than the other.
- Busyboard. Recently a popular manual for the development of fine motor skills. It is a wooden structure, on which various objects are attached on both sides.
These can be laces, caps, locks, switches, gears, etc. Such a toy will help parents, as the baby can play it independently and safely.
At what age should one develop fine motor skills?
It is important to pay attention to the motor skills of the hands for at least a few minutes every day.
- For children from nine months of age, pick up large items such as beads or pyramid rings.
- At the age of 1 year, you can organize games with natural materials: sand, clay, cones, pebbles, etc.
- After 2 years, the baby will be happy to do finger exercises with an adult. Saying various nursery rhymes along with hand movements will help to teach hand and tongue coordination. And also better remembered by the child himself.
- After 3 years, paper exercises should be used. Usually, by these years, the baby has mastered the skill of working with scissors, so it becomes possible to model applications.
- And from the age of 4-6, origami is mastered as one of the most difficult types of paper games.
At whatever age you are engaged in the development of fine motor skills in children, it is necessary to organize this activity so that it brings not only benefit, but also pleasure to the child.
Conclusions
In the age of technological progress and the early use of phones, tablets and computers by children, other aspects of child development are regressing. And, first of all, speech suffers. The relationship between fine motor skills and speech, as well as the development of mental processes, has already been established.
Systematic work on the development of fine motor skills is necessary throughout the preschool period, since by the age of seven the brain areas responsible for its development have already been formed. A child, going to school, should be prepared for new loads, in particular, for mastering writing skills, and not learning how to hold a pen or pencil correctly. Lack of basic skills can lead to unstable self-esteem, inability to build social connections, and poor academic performance.
The network of children's development centers "Baby Club" will be happy to help in the development of fine motor skills of your child. A developing object-spatial environment, highly qualified specialists who love their work with all their hearts, and cozy groups will not leave anyone indifferent.
General development classes or specialized programs - the choice is yours. Contact us if your goal is to raise a developed, open, free, inquisitive little man.
Fine motor skills in humans are called the ability to perform precise and small movements with the fingers and hands of the arms and legs through the coordinated actions of the three nervous systems: muscular, skeletal and nervous. Fine motor skills are of great importance in the development of children. Why? Fine motor skills of the hands cover the area of a large number of very different movements. Well-developed fine motor skills of the hands allow you to make primitive gestures, like picking up objects with your hand, and quite complex, small movements, such as writing. By the way, a person's handwriting depends on the development of fine motor skills. A good quality of life helps children develop fine motor skills. Our numerous everyday activities are connected with the use of motor skills: we fasten buttons (for this we have a lot of all kinds of children's clothing in our store) or lace up shoes, thread a needle into a needle, type an SMS text. In infancy, on the basis of general motor skills, fine motor skills naturally develop in children. First, the child develops simple grasping movements, then he learns to shift objects in his hands and masters the so-called “tweezer grip”. By the age of two, a child has the ability to properly hold a spoon and pencil for drawing. There are several ways to speed up and develop the process of fine motor skills in children. Good help in this game with the use of small items - folding mosaics, constructor or puzzles. However, it is necessary that the objects are not very small so that the child cannot swallow them. Try playing finger games with your kids while massaging your fingers and hands. Sculpt figures from plasticine. Play the games below with your children. Highlight This game is good for young children. Prepare a plastic cup with raisins and a jar with a lid. It is important that the lid is removable, not screwed, so that the child can independently remove and close the vessel with a lid. The raisins are transferred to the vessel, ask the child to do this. He will have to remove the lid from the vessel, take a raisin and put it in the vessel, then close it with a lid. Do not scold the child if he fails to do this, just help him. The task of the baby is to shift all the raisins into the vessel. If a child gets bored while playing, do not force him to continue playing. Conversely, if the child wants to continue playing, pour the raisins back into the cup and let him start the game from the beginning. Raisins are safe for a child, if a child swallows it, nothing bad will happen to him. Castle Very simple fun game. The child repeats the simple words of the poem after you, while accompanying the words with gestures. There is a lock on the doors. Simultaneously with the pronunciation, we connect the fingers into the lock. For games, use any fun games known or invented by you. On a piece of cardboard, ask the child to draw something simple, for example, a little man "stick, stick-cucumber ...". Prepare glue and beans. Show how to spread glue along the pencil line, and then glue the beans to get a voluminous application. Working with beans develops fine motor skills.     Welcome
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Scientists have established a direct relationship between good speech development and developed fine motor skills of the hands. Thus, by actively developing fine motor skills in your children, you thereby help children speak faster and better. 
Along with the development of motor skills, the game develops speech skills and memory. 
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