Children who have issues with fine motor skills
have a hard time developing strong muscles in their fingers, hands and
wrists. Here are ideas for activities that can help them build the
muscles needed for fine motor skills.
Stock up on play-dough.
Play-dough
has been a childhood favorite for decades. Not only is it downright
fun, but handling play-dough also develops some important skills.
Squeezing and stretching it helps strengthen finger muscles, and
touching it is a valuable sensory experience.
Do some finger painting.
Using
finger paint can strengthen your child’s hand-eye coordination and
manual dexterity. All you need is an easel or a thick piece of paper,
some finger paints and a space—like the yard or garage—where your child
can get messy.
Squeeze out a sponge.
Set
up two separate bowls, one filled with water and the other empty. Give
your child a sponge and have her soak it in one bowl. Then have her
squeeze the water out of the sponge into the other bowl. She can
transfer water back and forth between bowls, too. This simple game can
strengthen hands and forearms. It’s especially fun if you throw in some
bubbles or some food dye.
Make bathroom murals.
Show
your child how to safely cut thin pieces of craft foam into whatever
shapes she wants. Then she can use them to create murals during her
bath. Simply wet them so they stick to the wall or to the side of the
tub. It’s a fun way to improve cutting skills and manual dexterity.
Color with broken crayons.
Difficulties with fine motor skills can make it tough to grip a pencil. Coloring with small, broken crayons encourages your child to hold the crayon correctly—between her thumb and forefinger. Pencils used on mini-golf courses and small pieces of chalk work well, too. No matter what you use, this activity a fun way to challenge your child.
Difficulties with fine motor skills can make it tough to grip a pencil. Coloring with small, broken crayons encourages your child to hold the crayon correctly—between her thumb and forefinger. Pencils used on mini-golf courses and small pieces of chalk work well, too. No matter what you use, this activity a fun way to challenge your child.
Make paper dolls.
Paper
dolls have been around for generations, and kids still love them. By
cutting and folding tabs, your child can strengthen important hand
muscles. Start by cutting out larger dolls and outfits, and move to
smaller pieces over time. Paper dolls can appeal to boys as well as
girls—just look for characters that interest your child.
Play string games.
Another
low-tech activity that can provide hours of fun is string games, like
Cat’s Cradle. String games help improve finger strength and hand-eye
coordination. All you need is some yarn and a little time to teach your
child.
Make macaroni necklaces.
Stringing together necklaces is a great way for your child to be
creative while working on her hand-eye coordination and developing her
ability to manipulate objects. To start, give her thick string and big
beads or large pieces of dry pasta. Over time, she can work on more
complex designs using smaller pieces.