According to Understood.org:
“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 benefit from experiences that support the development of fine motor skills in the hands and fingers. Children should have strength and dexterity in their hands and fingers before being asked to manipulate a pencil on paper but we start writing right away in kindergarten or even in preschool so many children miss the development that is so important because we push them to write…but we can still work on these skills!
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| Child holding Claw Pencil Grip |
What are some Easy Fine Motor Skills to develop?
ücutting with scissors-Free Cutting Reminder Page
üpushing and pulling building blocks Like Llego and Brickyard
What are 8 Easy Fine Motor Activities for the Classroom?
1. Play with Play-dough
2. Tear Paper for Crafts
3. Painting with Qtips
painting gives kiddos an opportunity to use their hands…and to get messy. Painting with a q-tips helps kids learn to hold with a pincer grip. Encourage 3 fingered grasp. Read how to create these Bumble Bees.
4. Cut with Scissors
Use scissors to cut simple shapes, Remember straight lines are easier. Curved lines are more difficult. I try to have the students cut shapes to help retell stories and poems. Check out Humpty Dumpty. Click to get Cutting Guide for reinforcement.
5. Copy Simple Shapes
Making triangle shapes can be difficult because of the diagonal lines. Once simple shapes can be made, pictures can then been seen. Drawing “myself” or mom is a perfect activity because “people” drawing includes many different shapes. Encourage 3 fingered grasp of the pencil. Then write and label the story! Rhyming Posters helps with writing of young readers or friends that have difficulty remembering how to spell.
6. Coloring within Lines
Teach how to slow down when close to the line. Sometimes help is needed to focus on the paper and the lines. Use the fingers for the movement of the crayon or pencils. Encourage 3 fingered grasp with this fun Bubblegum Game to learn letters and sounds.
7. Paste and Glue
Using the glue and placing shapes in relation to each other to make pictures. We cut out rectangles to sequence Humpty Dumpty and retell the nursery Rhyme to practice working our auditory memory skills. Read other Humpty Dumpty Activities.
8. Connecting Building Blocks
Putting these blocks together and taking them apart works the finger muscles. The small blocks should be used as soon as the child stops putting things in their mouths. The Brickyard brand has an alligator that helps remove the blocks that is another perfect fine motor workout!
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Make everyday magical,
