Activities to Develop Fine Motor Skills

Young children learn through Sensory/Motor Integration which means exploring and discovering using their five senses and movement. They enjoy manipulating interesting objects, textures and materials. Encouragement and praise will also lengthen time children spend on activities.This Fine Motor Skills video was generously offered to me by Katie from Mommy with Selective Memory.

Activities to Develop Fine Motor Skills:

• Pouring sand, water, salt, sugar, rice, or beans using bowls, funnels, spoons, cups, tubes, rolls, colander.
• Sorting small objects with interesting textures like cotton balls, pom poms, pastas, Legos, dominoes and shells, placing them into egg cartons or bowls.
• Pushing objects through a slot like pennies or buttons into a Piggy Bank or container with a slit in lid; pushing pegs into a board like golf tees into Styrofoam.
• Picking up marbles, pennies, or buttons and putting them in a jar . For variety and exercise, have child stand up and toss small objects into a box or sack.
• Building with blocks, Lincoln logs, Legos.
• Lacing with lacing cards – poking string through holes and pushing and pulling.
• Grasping wooden puzzles pieces and maneuvering into correct position.
• Picking stickers off page and successfully placing onto paper.
• Playing with Playdough and clay:  Pulling, pressing, stretching, rolling, pounding, squeezing, twisting, pinching.
• Squeezing glue bottles, water guns, sponges, large plastic tweezers.
• Beading necklaces made with pinwheel or tubular pasta or use large beads.
• Pushing pipe cleaners into holes in colanders or weave through baking cooling racks.
• Marking with fat pencils, crayons, markers, and sidewalk chalk.
• Cutting with child safety scissors. Opening and closing the scissors, as well as cutting, increases hand strength.
•  Arranging rocks, shells, leaves, sticks, cards, M&Ms, pasta, or whatever interests a child. Children enjoy sorting, then making a collection which can be labeled for a reading/writing connection. 
 

Children will sort objects with no encouragement because they are natural pattern seekers - trying to make sense of their ever expanding world. Sorting and Patterning give children a sense of stability and consistency as well as helps them develop reading, math and science skills.

To view the other Fine Motor Skills Videos, click 

Pouring Sand Video  and Playing with Pennies

 

For a glimpse into Kindergarten see my book. Would you like inexpensive ideas, activities, and games to teach your child through play? Mommy with Selective Memory and I can help save your sanity, one project at a time, with The Happy Mommy Handbook: The Ultimate How-to Guide on Keeping Your Toddlers and Preschoolers Busy, Out of Trouble and Motivated to Learn. Both have been number 1 bestsellers.