Fine Motor Skills
Fine motor control is essential in Kindergarten.
Children will not be able to write letters and numbers if they do not improve their fine motor strength and abilities.
Fine motor skills are achieved when children learn to use their smaller muscles, like muscles in the hands, fingers, and wrists.
Children use their fine motor skills when holding and manipulating small items, buttoning clothing, turning pages, eating, cutting with scissors, and writing.
Video on how help your child with using scissors.
Some of our favorite fine motor activities to do at home:
finger plays and songs
small legos
lacing cards
pop bead necklaces
clothes pin activities (pick up pom poms, or anything and then have them sort them.)
using tweezers to pick things up
beading (pipe cleaners are good if yarn or string is still tricky.)
mazes
playdough
cutting
paper
straws (and then use string or yarn to lace them)
Playdough
slime
“Feeding Hungry Harry” (Hand Strengthening Game) Cut a slit in a tennis ball; this will be the mouth. Next, draw the eyes and nose. Children can squeeze the ball to open Harry's mouth while feeding him pennies.
“Plant Sprayer, Water Sprayer Activity” Using a plant sprayer to spray plants, (indoors, outdoors) to spray snow (mix food coloring with water so that the snow can be painted), or melt "monsters". (Draw monster pictures with markers and the colors will run when sprayed.)
“Writing while lying down” Have the child do frequent, simple, drawing/coloring activities while lying on their stomach on the floor with their forearms resting on the floor. This position will provide stability to the arms and encourage the child to use more finger movement as the whole arm can't readily be moved.
On The OT Toolbox, you will find resources, tools, ideas, and activities designed to support the healthy development of children (throughout the lifespan). Based on function and occupation-centered activities, the tools shared on this site promote the underlying skills needed for action and performance of meaningful tasks in kids.