February 12, 2014

Fun with Fine Motor Skills!



Most simply, Fine Motor action is what we accomplish with our hands and fingers. We rely on the function of our limbs and hands, the feelings we get from touch, and our visual perception to accomplish many of our every day tasks. 

Writing is an extremely critical Fine Motor activity. In order to build up to writing, it's important for young kids to bolster their Fine Motor skills and supporting muscles. 

Here are a few fun activities that you may not have realized are building Fine Motor skills!

What's in the bowl?

Hide small objects in sand or Jell-O™ in a large bowl. Using small animal figurines can make for a fun identification game as they're pulled out of the bowl. Instruct your child to use a closed fist with pincher fingers.

Magnets on the Fridge

Children should always be supervised when playing with magnets. However, it's a fantastic way for you and your child to build Fine Motor strength. Use shaped magnets to create a design and have your child try and create the same design on their own. For kids that know their alphabet, have them use their pincher fingers to manipulate an alphabet magnet set into the correct order (forwards and backwards!).

Bake some Cookies (Yum)

Rolling the dough, forming small balls with the dough, and using fingers to push the balls into disks are great Fine Motor skill-building actions.  Not to mention there's a tasty reward in store for all that hard work! Manipulating clay, Play-Doh™, and Silly Puddy™ are also fantastic ways to work the same muscles without the sugar.


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