How to Improve Fine Motor Skills in Toddlers
Fine motor skills include precise motions using fingertips and hand-wrist coordination. Improve your toddler's fine motor skills by encouraging him to practice scribbling, picking up small objects and building muscles in his hands. Developing these skills is vital for physical and mental growth. Unlike gross motor skills using mostly physical skills, fine motor skills incorporate mental skills as the toddler thinks about what to do with a crayon, paint brush, ball of clay or building block.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Water table or table with basin attached
- Plastic sheet, optional
- Sand, dried pasta, beans or rice
- Bowls, spoons, colander and funnels
- Small figurines, plastic animals, toy soldiers or doll house furniture
- Crayons
- Plain paper
- Printed coloring sheets
- Playdough or modeling clay
- Acrylic paint and paint brush
Instructions
-
Activity Station
-
1
Set the water table or table with basin attached indoors on top of a plastic sheet, which will protect the flooring from spills. Set the station outdoors if possible.
-
2
Fill the water table or basin with water or sand or add dried beans, rice and pasta. Add bowls, funnels, spoons, cups and a colander to the station.
-
-
3
Encourage the toddler to pour water from one container to the other. Show him how to add water to a bowl and stir it together as you pretend to cook. Ask him to use a spoon to transfer the water into containers and to pour water through the funnel.
-
4
Add small figurines, such as plastic animals, toy soldiers or miniature doll house furniture, to dry ingredients in the activity station. Work with him to build mountains, bury objects and stage cities.
Drawing and Coloring
-
5
Give your toddler one or two crayons, or let him choose a few colors if this is not too much of a distraction for him.
-
6
Place a blank sheet of paper or a coloring sheet on a hard surface.
-
7
Play drawing games, such as scribbling or chasing his crayon mark with your own, if using a blank sheet of paper.
-
8
Encourage coloring in the lines of the images on the coloring sheet by coloring on the sheet and asking him to copy your actions. Practice shading using the side of the crayons with him.
Molding Objects
-
9
Hand your toddler a handful of playdough. Show him how to roll the playdough into long snakes, ball it up or flatten the dough. Encourage him to work the playdough with his fingers to strengthen his muscles.
-
10
Move onto the harder modeling clay once he is ready to create a lasting work of art. Work with him to create geometric shapes or simple forms.
-
11
Let the clay dry following the directions on the clay packaging. Have him use a paintbrush and acrylic paint to add color to his work of art, which is another way to improve his fine motor skills.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Give your toddler thick, thin, short or triangle-shaped crayons as he learns how to hold and color with crayons. Some toddlers find it more difficult to hold thin crayons, while triangle-shaped ones prevent toddlers from grasping them too far from the point.
Start molding objects using playdough rather than clay, since playdough is a softer material.
Make your playdough or clay at home, and allow your toddler to help you measure, pour and stir ingredients, which are even more opportunities to improve his fine motor skills.
Do not let the toddler stick the dried pasta from the activity station into his mouth; this could lead to choking.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit hand writing red pencil image by Nicky Jacobs from Fotolia.com
