01. Allow your child to help with meals
Whether it be setting the table, using silverware, pouring a glass of milk or measuring ingredients, your child is strengthening little muscles.
02. Allow children to try getting dressed on their own
Give them the chance to zip, button and fasten their own clothing. If they aren’t sure how, SHOW them, don’t do it for them.
03. Encourage painting
Finger-painting and use of a paintbrush, are both great ways to encourage fine motor skills.
04. Encourage writing and drawing
Give children as many opportunities as possible to write or draw, even if the writing doesn’t make sense to you. Use of smaller crayons or odd shaped ones, like rock crayons encourage the use of little muscles.
05. Play board games and puzzles with them
Why not have fun and spend quality time with children while also helping with motor skills they don’t realize they are using. These activities not only help build motor skills but also develop critical thinking
06. Create with Play-Doh
Play-Doh or clay gives your child the creativity to create shapes and figures while also giving them essential movements for development.
07. Trace various shapes and lines
Allow children to trace shapes or lines in different directions with various medias to allow children to explore different medias and encourage exploration.
08. Allow children to practice cutting with scissors
Allow children to use scissors cutting paper, whether to make something or just cut in strips or pieces. This allows for building of the little hand muscles, hand eye coordination, and problem solving.
09. Let them play with blocks
Allow your children to create their own masterpiece out of building blocks. Blocks of all sizes encourage creativity and imagination. Cleaning up the tiny pieces also reinforces muscle memory.
10. Water Play
Allow children to play with water! Whether it is a water table to in the bath tub. Provide children with various items (cups, eye droppers, spoons, straws, etc) to use when playing in the water.
If you notice your child does any of the following, they may have a deficit with fine motor skills.
Occupational therapy can help!
- Lack of interest in grabbing/holding objects
- Difficulty sitting up
- Difficulty raising head
- Inability or difficulty standing or coming to a stand
- Inability or difficulty crawling or coming to a crawling position
- Delayed or difficulty with walking.
If you notice your child has difficulty with anything above, reaching out to an occupational therapist would be very beneficial. OTs can assess and treat for various deficits, fine motor skills being one of them.
Give Grow Together a call today to discuss your concerns. Our team will work closely with you to meet you where you are (home, school, daycare) at a time that works best with your schedule.
