This is a collaborative post
You may have heard the term “fine motor skills” but do you know what’s actually involved in helping your child develop them? After all, they are not something that children are born with, but rather something that they learn over time. Fine motor skills are often taken for granted, because we use them with everyday tasks such as writing a letter or controlling our cutlery at dinner. Read on for some advice from an international school in North London on how you can help your child develop these skills…
Encourage Independent Dressing
Many aspects of getting dressed in the morning require fine motor skills, such as doing up buttons or zips, brushing our teeth, and tying our shoes. With that said, it would be wise to encourage your child to try and do these things independently. After all, practise makes perfect.
Bake a Cake
Ask your child to help you in the kitchen, because this involves things like stirring and pouring.
Play Board Games
Most board games involve moving small pieces from one place to another, which involves fine motor skills. The same applies to jigsaw puzzles and Lego. Even something like Jenga will help your child develop their fine motor skills because it involves the pincer grasp, and careful manoeuvring.
Plant Some Seeds
Carefully planting tiny little seeds involves careful control of the hands, which is essentially what fine motor skills are all about.
Promote Arts & Crafts
Arty activities are great for developing the fine motor skills. Holding and moving paint brushes, felt tips, and even scissors require the use of the small muscles in our hands and wrists. Even scribbling with crayons is great for helping youngsters with their fine motor skills.
Play with Clay or Play-Dough
When children squeeze and stretch the clay/dough, they are engaging their fine motor skills and building strength in their hands and fingers.
