According to Wikipedia “Fine motor skill is the coordination of small muscles in movement.” 

Fine motor skills allow us to make small movements, for example holding a crayon, tying shoes, opening lunch containers, doing up buttons, cutting with scissors, etc. The development of fine motor skills is complex as it involves the coordinated efforts of the brain and muscles. Fine motor development progresses throughout childhood: through infancy, toddlerhood, preschool and school age. Children practice and develop this skill during play and everyday activities, some children will do this without even thinking about it while others may need to be encouraged to practice activities to strengthen fine motor coordination.

Here is a quick example of what development looks like through each stage. Babies try to manipulate objects with their whole body, for example they may use their belly, arms and hands to catch a ball. As they grow they become more adept at using and controlling their hands. When they are toddlers they will hold a fat crayon using their whole fist making fast, un-intentional strokes on their paper creating scribbles.

When children move into the preschool age the toys they start to play with become smaller and require more fine motor dexterity (for example they start to play with small cars and people, blocks, puzzles…). They may start participating in artwork requiring them to learn to cut or glue, use paintbrushes or they may begin writing letters. This is also the age that they become potty trained requiring them to pull up their pants, button buttons and zip zippers all things that require fine motor skills. 

By school-age, fine motor should be well developed, children have to write, they play with small toys such as LEGO, manipulate small objects in class, tie shoes, dress themselves, open and close lunch containers, etc. 

As I mentioned earlier, some children just acquire these skills seamlessly without ever considering it, others need extra help and have difficulty manipulating small things. If a child has any kind of issue with the brain, muscles, joints, spinal chord or peripheral nerves, fine motor development will most likely be impacted and they may need therapy to help with development. 

Some children simply practice fine motor skills less. Children may gravitate towards activities that require gross motor skills like kicking balls and climbing play structures in lieu of making bracelets, building with small pieces and artwork. In this case, parents can provide children with opportunities at home to help further develop these skills. Here are some simple and fun ways to practice fine motor development at home. 

How to incorporate fine motor development at home:

1. Lacing — lacing (beads, pool noodles, lacing cards, lacing shoes);

2. Writing — with skinny chalk, pencils, markers;

3. Manipulating Play-Doh — make small balls, use cookie cutters, make snakes;

4. Doing puzzles; 

5. LEGO.

These materials are all great to work with to improve fine motor skills, there is also a great deal of variety of what you can do with them. 

1. Pompoms — let them roll down a paper towel roll, use them in a game of popsicle stick hockey.

2. Rubber bands — these take a lot of hand strength to maneuver, add them to any sensory bin, use tongs to maneuver them. 

3. Marbles — sort them, use them as play food, use them with dump trucks.

4. Paper clips — build with them, slide them onto paper plates or just paper takes a lot of coordination.

5. Straws — use them to create with Play-Doh, cut them into small pieces and thread them onto a string.

6. Buttons — these are awesome in the art cupboard, they are so pretty to use in art, but also great to sort or thread with very thin string. The true act of buttoning something up is a terrific fine motor activity.

7. Pipe cleaners can be threaded, twisted and poked.

8. Tweezers are awesome for sensory bins, add them to a snack time supper for some extra practice and to make it fun.

9. Nuts and bolt — anything from dad’s tool kit takes a lot of eye-hand coordination and hand strength to tighten and loosen. 

10. Syringes — medicine syringes take a lot of hand strength, use them in the bathtub. Let them fill and empty it they make great squirt toys. 

11. Hole punches are super hard to use. Let them try though and eventually with practice and hand strength they’ll get it on their own and love it.

12. Kitchen tongs are great in a sensory bin, bonus idea — take them out during clean-up time and they’ll be the best cleaners ever.

13. Eye droppers are so fun in science projects. Also great with a water bin game.

14. Stickers are awesome because peeling them off takes great eye-hand coordination and fine motor control. 

15. Toothpicks and marshmallows are an awesome duo to build with.

As you can see with this list, there are so many simple ways to incorporate fine motor skills in your child. Not all children develop at the same rate. If you are concerned about your child’s fine motor development you can always talk to your child’s doctor about it. In whatever ways you choose to bring fine motor activities into your home, try and make it fun. Children will enjoy playing with you and not even realize they’re working.

Shelley Heaphy