Why are fine motor skills so important? A lot of times we think about working on fine motor skills so that we can write, but there is so much more to it.
I think we (me included) take for granted the many things we do every day with our hands. Think of all the things you wouldn’t be able to do if you weren’t able to use your hands. Some of these things include buttoning your shirt, zipping your jacket, tying your shoes, putting makeup on, starting your car, opening packages, picking up something off the ground, putting money in your wallet, opening a jar, doing your hair, turning pages in a book, etc., etc., etc.
So how do we work on fine motor skills with kids? Through play of course. There are many factors to consider as we help kids with fine motor skills. Some of these include finger isolation, in-hand manipulation, crossing midline, pincer grasp, eye-hand coordination, and bilateral coordination.
Below I’ll share my favorite toys that I use when I’m working with kids on fine motor skills. I’ll share my thoughts on each toy in the description of each one.
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This is a fun and engaging game where kids can work on fine motor strength, pincer grasp, bilateral coordination, eye-hand coordination when they put the sword in the slot. You can also work on turn taking, color recognition, and counting.
There are different options for toys like this that have a working drill. These toys have been so engaging for some of the kids I've worked, and you can work on fine motor skills, bilateral coordination, crossing midline, matching colors, turn taking, etc.
Kids can color and wash these pets making it a great activity to work on fine motor skills. Just a disclaimer, they don't always come clean, but they're still fun. I like that it combines a sensory activity of playing with water along with drawing.
Blocks are so versatile, and kids are always drawn to them. It builds their imagination along with building fine motor strength building, bilateral coordination, eye-hand coordination, pincer grasp, crossing midline, and motor planning.
Kids love using these droppers for all kinds of activities. You can use them in art, science, cooking, sensory tables, etc. These droppers help with pincer grasp and finger strength in a fun and engaging way.
Using tweezers is a great way to work on fine motor skills. Spread the dinosaurs and bowls out in front of the child to work on crossing midline. This is also great for working on sorting by color or animal.
Let kids get creative with this tape. When they peel the tape, tear it, and place it on something, they are working on fine motor skills along with bilateral hand coordination, motor planning, and visual-spatial perception.
Tweezers are a great way to work on fine motor skills, you can use them for sorting activities, to pick up pom poms, or other small manipulative. They can help strengthen hand muscles and work on a pincer grasp.
Using different modalities to practice writing is great for keeping attention and engagement. This one is good for practicing letters and numbers. They have other ones that are blank where kids can get more creative.
This bead set is good for kids that have a harder time using a string. It's good for find motor skills as they put the beads on the dowel, it's also good for matching and sequencing. You could also have them work on creating their own patterns.
I have owned this one and a more generic one. I like this one better than my other one because it can be set up vertically. This is good for fine motor skills, and matching colors.
Melissa and Doug have some different options for lacing cards. Lacing cards help develop fine motor skills, bilateral hand coordination, pincer grasp, etc. To start, let your child lace however they'd like, don't make them do it in order.
This set comes with so many options for kids to play with that work on pincer grasp, hand strength, and can help build skills that will help with cutting, writing, and other fine motor skills.
These LED drawing boards are another fun way to give kids exposure to drawing/writing. Kids love how it lights up and how they can be creative with what they draw.
Duplos are a classic. They encourage creativity, fine motor skills, bilateral coordination, pretend play, and more.
Lite Brite is a fun way to work on fine motor skills. Because the pegs are so little, it helps kids with their pincer grasp. It's also good for creativity or following a pattern.
For kids just learning to do puzzles, these peg puzzles are a good starting place. I love most Melissa and Doug toys, and they have a wide variety of puzzles. I like to use puzzles in obstacle courses, or while sitting on a swing. There's a lot of ways to use them more than just sitting at a table.
There are so many options for different magna tiles kits. Magna tiles are a great tool for bilateral hand coordination as you need to use both hands to build.
I love these toys, but they can be frustrating for some kids because they don't stay together so if you bump it, then it will fall apart. They do have connectors you can buy though so they don't fall apart as easily.
Mr. Potato Head is another classic. They're great for pretend play as well as fine motor skills when they're putting the pieces in. It also helps with bilateral hand coordination, and you can also work on crossing midline.
There are so many different types of drawing boards. These are great for quiet time, and building fine motor skills. Kids can draw or stamp on the board.
I've had this vet set for years. It's so fun hiding things in the doors and having kids open them up with the keys. It's great for working on fine motor skills as well as pretend play. I oftentimes use as a choice maker too by hiding activities in each door.
I love having an easel for kids to draw on. It's good for a child's development to write on a vertical surface. And because the easel is usually out all the time, it gives kids opportunities to doodle and draw any time.
Stickers are a fantastic way to work on fine motor skills. If your child is struggling to get the sticker off the pad, just help them by taking a small corner up so they can still work on their fine motor skills.
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