Fine Motor Activities

Fine motor skills are those that involve a refined use of the small muscles which control the hand, fingers and thumb.

Here are some examples of activities we will do throughout the year:

• Pour sand, water, salt, sugar, rice, or beans using bowls, funnels, spoons, cups, tubes, rolls, colander
• Sort small objects with interesting textures like cotton balls, pastas, sponges, and rocks placing them into egg cartons
• Push objects through a slot like pennies or buttons into a Piggy Bank or container with a slit in lid; pushing pegs into a board
• Pick up marbles and putting them in a jar; for variety, have child stand up and drop marbles into jar or drop balls or other small objects into container or sack
• Build with blocks, logs, legos
• Lace with lacing cards – poking string through holes and pulling
• Grasp wooden puzzles pieces and placing correctly
• Arrange rocks, leaves, beans, cards, pasta, sticks or whatever interests child
• Pick stickers off page and successfully placing onto something
• Play with Play Dough and clay: pull, press, stretch, roll, pound, squeeze, pinch
• Squeeze glue bottles, water guns, sponges
• Shake bottles of glitter
• Bead necklaces with yarn or pasta wheels and lacing string
• Push pipe cleaners into foam shapes with center cut out or push into colanders
• Mark with fat pencils, crayons, markers, and sidewalk chalk
• Cut with child safety scissors which are blunt and fits hand. Open and close the scissors as well as cut, increases hand strength.

I really encourage you to do these activities with your child at home. 

You may find most of the ietas at the dollarstore. :)