How to Fine Tune Your Child’s Fine Motor Skills
Whether your child is in kindergarten or in his (or her) second year of school, it’s important to spend ample time working on fine motor skills. Doing a few simple things at home, regardless of the time of year, helps to give children a boost
with tasks like writing, coloring and other art-related activities. Here are a few fun suggestions to consider.
Gardening
Early fall is a great time for doing work in the garden. The weather is milder and many plants are ready or almost ready to harvest. Look over your plants, to find weeds your little ones can safely pull by hand. Once your veggies
are ready to pick, ask your child to help collect them and bring them safely inside.
Games
Board games are a great way to work on fine motor skills, while having fun at the same time. Look for board games that are simple to play, scheduling a (weekly) family game night. Allow young children to roll the dice and move game pieces themselves.
Macaroni Art
For a classic kid’s craft project, have your child glue pieces of macaroni onto a piece of paper, to create a picture of his or her choosing. You don’t have to stop at macaroni, other small objects such as beans and beads do the trick.
Once the picture is completed, your child can color and decorate the macaroni with markers, glitter and other appropriate embellishments.
Sort Coins
If you have a jar of spare change in your home, dump it out and help your child sort the coins
into piles. Not only does this activity help children work on their motor skills, it teaches them
about counting as well as money.
Soap Carving
Provide your child with a soft bar of bath soap and a plastic knife or wooden craft stick that’s
been cut on the diagonal. It’s best to start out with simple shapes like triangles and work up to
shapes a bit more complicated like stars and circles.
These are just a few things you can do to help your child fine tune his or her fine motor skills.
Remember, working on them for just a few minutes each day really does make a difference!
Create a fun sensory bin!
Creating a fun sensory bin that your kids can help to create is a great way to fine tune their fine motor skills. Check out this beach themed sensory bin for some fun filled sensory play.
