Fine Motor Activities Area

What are fine motor skills?

We use fine motor skills to make small movements. These movements come so naturally to most people that we usually don’t think about them. Fine motor skills are complex, however. They involve the coordinated efforts of the brain and muscles, and they’re built on the gross motor skills that allow us to make bigger movements.

Children need to use fine motor skills to do many school-related tasks. These include:
 
Holding a crayon or pencil
Drawing pictures and writing neatly
Stacking blocks and stringing beads
Using scissors, rulers, and other tools

Children also need fine motor skills to do daily tasks like getting dressed and brushing their teeth.

Here are some step by step charts you can print off. 

Step by step brushing teeth chart

Step by step washing hands chart

Step by step getting dressed chart

At a Glance
Fine motor skills are the ability to make movements using the small muscles in our hands and wrists.
Children use fine motor skills to do many school-related tasks.
Here are some activities  you can do at home to help improve your child’s fine motor skills.

 

The Play dough Disco is fabulous for fine motor skills while having a dance!

 

 

Rice races

Divide a handful of uncooked rice into two plastic bowls and have an empty bowl handy. Give your child small tweezers and grab a pair for yourself. Then, have a race to see who can be the first to transfer their rice into the empty bowl using the tweezers. If your child is struggling because the grains of rice are too small, you may want to begin with O-shaped cereal.

Water and paint brushes make great outside fun with less mess!

Cotton buds make a great paint brush for little hands, tracing over lines or  painting is great exercise.

Scissor skills are very important for independence and being able to get creative independently.

Easy Peasy Play dough is a must have for any Child. Just have fun moulding and sculpting  the dough or us it to dance along to the Play dough Disco!

 

Treading is a great way to exercise those fine motor skills while making something lovely.