Developing Fine Motor Skills

Written by Isabelle Plomp - M.Ed., ECE Dip.                      

Before a child is able to do small motor movements with their fingers, there needs to be a strong foundation to build from.  Babies first develop larger muscles in their bodies by activities such as kicking and using their arms.  Eventually they start to hold onto items put into their hands, followed by picking up items, sometimes with not a lot of accuracy.  With practice they start to improve these abilities and before long they are picking up the smallest piece of lint off the rug.  They develop hand-eye coordination through this process.

Young children need lots of practice manipulating objects such as toys, food, etc.  Their growing brain makes increasing connections with every successful, and also unsuccessful, attempt.  Tummy time, once they are ready for it, is an excellent activity that supports the development of their core and allows hands free to explore the world and items around them.  Later they discover how to pick up small items of food and get them to their mouth, followed by learning how to use a spoon.

Large muscle activities for toddlers such as tug-o-war, holding onto swings to pump themselves, doing monkey-bars, climbing ladders and such all improve hand strength.  Give a young child a bucket of water and a paint brush in the summer and let them “paint” the fence with water – this promotes good hand and shoulder strength which is an important base for fine motor skills. Using hard plasticine and working it in their hands is a good work out too.

There are many activities that help build a strong foundation for future fine motor skills. 

Before expecting young children to use writing utensils (pencils, crayons, markers, etc.) they can:

-          Participate in fingerplays such as “5 Little Monkeys” or “Where is Thumbkin?”

-          Play with finger puppets or puppets with mouths that they can operate.

-          Screw nuts and bolts together or apart, unscrewing or screwing lids on small jars/bottles, etc.

-          Practice buttoning and zipping their clothes or those on a doll or teddy.

-          Put coins into a slot in a piggy bank or plastic container – promotes the exact position for holding a pencil!

-          Pinch, roll and manipulate playdough.

-          Pick up items such as cotton balls or pompoms using tongs.

-          Thread large wooden beads onto a thick lace or plastic string.

-          Do lacing activities – children can punch holes in thin paper plates and then use wool to lace around the plate.

-          Draw with fingers in shaving cream on the front of the fridge or in the tub.

-          Put hair gel in a large Ziplock bag and seal it.  Children can make squiggles or shapes with their fingers in the gel without getting messy fingers.

-          Put salt or rice on a dark cookie sheet and your child can use their finger or a paint brush to make lines or shapes.

-          Use a stick to draw in mud or sand.

Before expecting young children to use scissors:

-          Use squirt bottles, squirt guns – promotes similar action to cutting with scissors.

-          Do 2 handed activities to get used to working with both hands – such as tearing bits of paper to make a card/craft, put small pieces of Lego together, etc.

-          Use a single hole punch to make holes in cardstock or heavy paper.

-          Use blunt scissors with playdoh – cut snakes apart, cut through flattened out playdough, etc.

To make it easier when first using scissors, start by having young children randomly snip long strips of paper into bits so they get used to opening and closing the scissors while seeing the results of their work.  Loop scissors are helpful as they automatically open back up for little hands or some have a switch that allows this function.  Loop scissors are available from most educational stores and some stationary stores.  As well, Crayola makes inexpensive scissors for little hands that do not cut fabric or hair.  Children truly need opportunities to use scissors in safe and fun ways.

Children often do not decide on a dominant hand until around age 3 or 4 or sometimes later.  It is usually best to let them use what is natural and most comfortable for them.  A reminder that children need to experiment with things and that the process is far more beneficial to them than producing a set “product”.  Scribbling is a first step in using writing utensils so it should be encouraged. Yes, fine motor activities can sometimes be messy, but children usually love these experiences and messy activities also help them to process sensory information too!  Any attempts with fine motor activities should be child-led or something that the child is truly interested in trying.  Many young children shut down when adults have too many expectations with fine motor activities.  Explore, create and enjoy fine motor activities together!

References:

Alberta Health Services - Universal Strategies for the Classroom, Occupational Therapy, Alberta Health Services – Adapted from CA RCSD OT Strategies  https://swcss.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/OT-Universal-Strategies-SWCSS-2020.pdf

Twombly, E., Fink, G., (2013) ASQ-3 Learning Activities. Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co. ISBN 978-1-59857-246-9

Photo credit: Kid On White Table Painting · Free Stock Photo (pexels.com)