Fine motor skills are the one in which child uses small muscles, for example fingers. These skills develop after the gross motor skills. Fine motor skills are necessary so that the child can perform the self help activity tasks like brushing, feeding themselves, closing zippers, fasten buttons, etc. Along with this developing fine motor skills help in building the foundation for writing in preschoolers. Below are some of the activities in which you can engage your child in for the development of fine motor skills.

1. Threading Beads

Threading beads requires a lot of concentration and eye-hand coordination. Your child may not be able to do it in the first try because it may take time to learn this, but this activity is very effective for developing fine motor skills. You can find these beads games easily at market and engage with your child in making beautiful necklaces, bracelets or the things that your child would like to make.

2. Painting

There are lots of options available to do painting and your child will also love it because he will be using so many colors and will be free to use any of them. Painting can be stick painting, sponge painting, hand impression painting, thumb impression painting and the simplest one using paint brush and let your child do his creativity. Children should be given freedom in this activity so that they can engage actively and not forcefully.

3. Paper folding activity

You can teach your child a simple paper folding activity and make anything that your child would love to make for example, paper plane, bird, boat, etc. There are many options available. If you are not aware of any then you can always learn from youtube and let your child also engage in it. Using colorful papers will be more exciting and engaging for children and they will love anything that they have made themselves. You can often engage your child in paper folding activity.

4. Clay

Children love to play with clay or playing doughs. These are also very useful for children to engage in fine motor activities because children cut them, knead the dough and also roll it. When children involve in making different shapes and objects from it they are using their fine motor skills. You can also teach your child how to make certain animals or objects so that they can take interest in the activity.

5. Shape making with beans/buttons/beads/pulses

For this activity you will need beans/pulses available in kitchen, buttons or some beads and ask your child to glue them in a shape drawn on the paper. Start with simple shapes that your child will be able to make easily and glue all the beans or beads and then you can make complex shapes. They will be picking up the beads with fingers so it will be helpful for their fine motor skills.

All of the above activities will be very useful for child’s fine motor skill development, along with these activities you can also engage your child in tearing paper, cutting with child friendly scissors, scribbling, drawing and tracing. These activities will be helpful for building foundation for writing skills of your child.

Muskan Harjai
(Early Childhood Educator)

M.A. Education (Early Childhood Education and Care)