Many everyday tasks require small, precise movements. These skills are gradually developed from birth into adulthood. When babies are born, their fingers all move together as one unit, and one hand tends to copy the other. As children grow, they achieve important developmental milestones as they learn to isolate the movements of their hands and fingers from each other.
Children need fine motor skills for future education and basic selfcare: learning to draw and write, squeezing toothpaste, using scissors, doing up buttons and zips, tying shoes, eating with utensils and opening lunchboxes.
These skills rely on gross motor development like core strength and control as well as shoulder strength which provide a stable base for arm and hand movements.
Crafts, activities and toys
Simple ways to improve fine motor skills include activities like playing with play dough, threading beads, cutting paper, drawing, and solving puzzles. These activities engage the small muscles in the hands and fingers, promoting coordination and control, which are crucial for fine motor skills.
Encourage your children to practice hand-eye co-ordination, grasp, squeeze and manipulate small objects. Simple activities include:
putting clothes pegs onto a piece of cardboard,
sorting and ‘posting’ large buttons or beads into a box with a slot,
ripping and crumpling paper, and
using threading or lacing toys.
A favourite activity is catching bubbles. Encourage your child to visually track the bubbles and reach out to grab them before they float away. Children can poke with one finger at a time, pinch between their thumb and index finger, or grab them with their entire hand.
There is scientific evidence to suggest a close relationship between fine motor development and other aspects of language, literacy, and cognitive development. Providing opportunities to develop fine motor skills helps set the stage for more complex tasks that youngsters will tackle in early childhood centres and school. They will improve hand-eye co-ordination for future sports and musical activities. Additionally, the competency will boost their self-confidence and independence as they learn to do things for themselves
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