There’s a lot that we must give fine motor skills credit for; our ability to grip, hold and pincer. We use the movements for just about everything in our day to day lives, like eating, getting dressed and using our devices. To develop and strengthen the set of muscles responsible, your child will need to practise the movements mentioned which will over time improve their hand eye coordination. Here are 5 fun activities from a childcare provider in Kew that you can work through with your child to strengthen their fine motor skills.
Play Musical Instruments
Music is good for children all-round. It gives them an outlet in which they can explore their creativity, learn more about themselves i.e., their passions and interests and build their fine motor skills. Above all it’s also great fun so you won’t have the difficult job of having to engage their attention (hopefully). There are various different instruments that you can explore, from the keyboard to the drums. Each require a different sort of movement and will help your child develop their fine motor skills.
Arts and Crafts
Crafting is another which I’m sure your child will be happy to get on board with. They will have the freedom and control to create whatever they like, exercise their creativity, and express themselves. They will also be able to practise holding and gripping as they will need to learn to hold their tools upright.
Post-It Toys
There are lots of great toys designed for developing fine motor skills. Post-it toys are an example and can help children in identifying shapes as well as building their problem-solving skills.
Bath Toys
There are opportunities all around you and bath time is no exception. You can incorporate rubber ducks and squeezy toys into their bath routine to help them practise their gripping.
Rice Race
You can make up your own games too using what you find around the house. For example, you can use rice to create a fine motor skill competition. All you will need are bowls of rice, two that are empty and a stopwatch to see who can transfer rice from one bowl to another the fastest.
These are just a few ideas and we’re sure that there are plenty more that you will be able to come up with. Remember, practice makes perfect. Once they have their fine motor skills mastered, they will be able to do anything!
*Collaborative post