From as early as a few months old, children try to grip, hold and pincer. This develops what are known as fine motor skills that are essential for everyday life. The muscles responsible for the movements are found in the smaller muscle tissues of the body such as those found in the hands and fingers. The only way to build and strengthen these skills is through practice. Below is a list of fun activities that you can do with your child to help.
Bath Time
If your child likes their squeaky toys, bath time is the perfect time to practise. You can have a water fight with their rubber ducks by loading them with water and squeezing them as hard as possible to shoot it out.
Drawing
If you’re wanting to boost their creativity, you can also encourage them to draw. While it seems like just doodling, a lot of effort is needed for children to hold their pencil crayons upright. They can strengthen their hand and eye coordination whilst having fun and expressing themselves artistically.
Paper Chains
If you have some coloured paper, scissors, and tape to hand, you can create paper chains. All they will need to do is cut the paper into strips, thread them through one another and tape them into place.
Learn an Instrument
If you’re looking for something that involves less mess, you can help your child to learn a new instrument. It doesn’t have to be professional grade, just something with elements to strum, tap, press, or hold as this will build their fine motor skills.
Rice Race
You can also have a rice race. As the name would suggest, it involves having a race with rice. All you will need is some uncooked rice and a stopwatch to see who can create the biggest pile before it sounds.
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