How to improve fine motor skills in children
What's the story
Fine motor skills involve the movement of small muscles that require one's brain to coordinate between action and vision.
Children develop motor skills at different rates. But when they struggle with fine motor skills, they can have trouble doing various activities.
Here are a few ways to develop your child's fine motor skills if you think they are lagging.
#1
Drawing and painting
Drawing is probably the most creative activity for toddlers. Notice how they proceed with the colors.
You can also encourage them or indirectly teach them how to hold and draw. It's adorable to see a child attempting to do a job on their own.
Help them clutch pencils and other mediums like chalk, crayons, and sketch pens, and let the rest take course naturally.
#2
Cutting with scissors
Using scissors can sharpen fine motor skills as well as improve hand-eye coordination.
However, make sure to check the scissors are safe for your toddler's use, they shouldn't be too sharp or pointy or they might end up hurting themselves.
You can draw the shapes to cut around.
Since these muscles are still developing and haven't been used this way before, they'll require practice.
#3
Building blocks
Being able to pick up specific things with their fingers helps children develop their fine motor skills.
Building blocks help them build stronger muscles in their hands and improve coordination.
Building things, pulling the blocks apart and picking them up will help them to learn writing.
This also teaches them to be patient and persistent and gives a sense of accomplishment on completion.
#4
Give them some play-dough
Playing with plastic clay or play-dough, children can learn about shapes and sizes quickly.
The soft dough provides a sense of tangibility, strengthening the arches of their hands and helping them learn how to grasp objects.
Encourage your child to make small objects out of the dough by squeezing, stretching, and rolling the dough.
Make some impressions on the dough to impress them.
#5
Puffed rice race
Dump a handful of puffed rice on a tray and take two bowls, one for your child and one for you.
Now get ready and go start a race at who can pick up the most grains.
Of course, you'll win several games effortlessly, but be patient with your child and cheer for them to win.
With time, their techniques will change.