Fine motor skills involve the small muscles in our hands that we use to complete daily tasks, from tying our shoelaces to using a knife and fork.
These skills are incredibly important and can be improved if practised upon, to the point where we rarely even think about using them as adults. We begin developing these skills as new-borns, and they continue to improve as we age, so it’s important for parents to find ways to help their children practise.
Here are some tips from an independent boys’ school in London.
- Practise the pincer grasp: This involves picking up small items using the thumb and forefinger. By practising this grasp, your child will start to find it easier to pick up and control their cutlery or a pencil.
- Get crafty: Holding pens, pencils, paintbrushes, and other crafting materials are great for helping children develop their fine motor skills and strengthen those small muscles.
- Do some gardening: Encouraging your child to help you with the gardening is a great opportunity to use their fine motor skills and practise hand-eye co-ordination. Ask them to help you dig with a small space or plant some seeds.
- Encourage independent dressing: In the morning when your child is getting dressed, try and give them some time and space to do up their own buttons, brush their own hair, and tie their own shoes. If you do all of this for them to save time, they won’t be able to practise using their fine motor skills to complete necessary daily tasks.
Of course, there are plenty of other activities you can encourage your child to do to help strengthen their fine motor skills, such as playing boardgames and jigsaws, stacking with building blocks, and even video games. Just remember that all children develop at unique rates so be patient and keep practising.
Disclosure: this is a collaborative post