Activities That Teach Fine Motor Skills

We use our hands on a daily basis.  We type memos at work, wash dishes at home, operate a car and hang out on the couch flipping channels on the remote control.  Regardless of what the activity is, we are constantly using our hands.

It is important that we teach our children fine motor skills when they are young.  By starting at a young age for proper development and practice, kids can begin to utilize the small intrinsic muscles in their hands.  Because we rely so much on our hands, we depend on the activities that are taught to us from childhood.

Simple activities can help

Simple activities such as learning how to tie shoes or zipping or unzipping pants are both great examples of using our fine motor skills every day.  These are tasks that are required day in and day out.  In order to function and perform ordinary and difficult tasks as we get older, it is imperative that we teach our children the following activities:
•    Buttoning and unbuttoning pants or shirts
•    Turning pages in a book
•    Opening a drawer
•    Eating with utensils
•    Pinching objects between fingers
•    Screwing and unscrewing certain objects
•    Picking up and holding things
•    Throwing and catching things, such as balls
•    Writing or drawing
•    Other activities that require the use of our hands
These activities may seem too simple to the average adult, but to a child, they require time and patience.  Once these basic skills are mastered, children can continue to their everyday lives.

Getting creative

Although the list above is basic, activities for children can use a little extra creativity.  For example, instead of teaching your child how to button or unbutton his or her pants in order to go out for the day, engage them in a little game of dress-up.  For little boys, you can pretend that you are taking him to look for dinosaurs or to go to discover the pyramids in Egypt.  Set out outfits that he thinks are appropriate for each occasion and ask him to button up his pants on his own.

Enhancing coordination

Eating with utensils and knowing how to hold them properly might take a little practice with small children.  This involves coordination between your child’s eyes and hands.  By showing your child how you eat and how you use them, they should start to get an idea of how eating with utensils is supposed to be.  You can kneel beside them and guide them through it and you go through the motions.
Throwing and catching balls is a challenge that involves eye-hand coordination and the ability to determine how much space is between the thrower and catcher.  With the little ones, you can start by sitting on the floor at least a foot apart.  Roll a soft ball to your child and see if he or she can hold on to it.  Then ask them to roll it back.  Once the rolling is mastered, you can slowly start with the throwing and catching.