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Fine motor skills refer to the small movements in our hands and fingers which allow us to manage small objects and complete tasks. Students require fine motor skills to hold and control a pencil, manage scissors, use math manipulatives, play games, dress themselves, manage school supplies…….and much much more! Generally speaking, fine motor skills require stability in the shoulder, forearm and wrist, as well as specific hand skills such as coordination of the two sides of the hand, strength and refined finger movement. The activities suggested below will help students with fine motor skill development. Consider making a fine motor development center which includes these easy activities!
Fine motor skills refer to the small movements in our hands and fingers which allow us to manage small objects and complete tasks. Students require fine motor skills to hold and control a pencil, manage scissors, use math manipulatives, play games, dress themselves, manage school supplies…….and much much more! Generally speaking, fine motor skills require stability in the shoulder, forearm and wrist, as well as specific hand skills such as coordination of the two sides of the hand, strength and refined finger movement. The activities suggested below will help students with fine motor skill development. Consider making a fine motor development center which includes these easy activities!
Watch this short video for information on the development of fine motor skills!
Watch this short video for information on the development of fine motor skills!
FIVE ACTIVITIES TO IMPROVE FINE MOTOR SKILLS
FIVE ACTIVITIES TO IMPROVE FINE MOTOR SKILLS
1. OFF THE WALL!!
1. OFF THE WALL!!
Think easel, whiteboard, butcher block paper taped to a wall, chalkboard.....etc! Now think of crayons, chalk, sponge painting, paint rollers, crayon rubbings, markers.....etc! Allow your students to create art on a vertical surface to build the necessary muscles in the shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand which further leads to improved fine motor skills! Easy Peasy :)
2. PLAYDOUGH!!
2. PLAYDOUGH!!
Pinch, pull, roll, push, squeeze, stretch.....you can't go wrong with playdough! Encourage students to make shapes, balls, snakes, and anything they can think of with playdough. Once students master playdough with their hands, bring in the tools such as cookie cutters, plastic forks and spoons, rolling pins, garlic presses..... and more! All of these activities help build hand strength, coordination, bilateral skills and motor planning. Play on with Playdough!!
3. TONGS and tweezers!
3. TONGS and tweezers!
Play with tongs, tweezers, turkey basters, squirt bottles, and squeeze bottles all help to develop the muscles in the hand which build strength and stability necessary to hold a pencil and manipulate small objects. Think of picking up cotton balls, pom poms, and small erasers with tongs or tweezers. Use a squirt bottle to water plants or paint a fence (with water) outside. Use a turkey baster or squeeze bottle to blow cotton balls across the room. The options are endless and don't need to be messy.
4. BEADS!
4. BEADS!
String bead on pipe cleaners, wax string, plastic lace, or place them on a thin spaghetti stuck in some playdough. Use small beads, large beads, noodle beads (macaroni), or froot loops! Bead play encourages fine motor control, eye-hand coordination, and bilateral coordination. Be creative and mix bead play with playdough for added bang for your buck!
5. COINS IN SLOTS!
5. COINS IN SLOTS!
Large coins, tokens, plastic coins, and real money all can go in slots created in plastic containers, shoeboxes, water bottles....etc. Don't limit yourself to placing slots on the top; think about making slots on the sides of boxes or on the bottom of containers and boxes. Also, think about making slots in vertical, horizontal and diagonal directions. The more variety, the more the child will have to develop in-hand manipulation skills to place the coin!
Please click on the following link for a printable version of the information on this page:
Please click on the following link for a printable version of the information on this page:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1G8jcJtb-D69j4-Br3W4RR9Wli8B9Sab10tdYnZTevWI/edit?usp=sharing
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