Fine Motor Skills
WAYS TO IMPROVE FINE MOTOR SKILLS:
1. Stack any type of coin or blocks to make a small tower
2. Manipulate playdough, silly putty, or clay
3. Hide and then find beads, marbles, or coins in silly putty or play dough
4. Draw on a chalkboard using chalk
5. Cut drinking straws and lace the pieces on a string
6. String pasta or cereal (Cheerios or Fruit Loops) on pipe cleaner or yarn
7. Roll and shake dice within the palm of one hand
8. Build with toothpicks and marshmallows
9. Have your child trace their hand and then cut it out
10. Fill a bucket with rice and hide objects within the rice for your child to discover
11. Hold Skittles and place on outline of picture
12. Play games such as: Jenga, Lite Brite, Operation, Hungry Hungry Hippos, Magna Doodle, Connect 4
13. Make an "O" with thumb, index and middle fingers
14. Use tweezers (hold between index finger and thumb) to pick up small objects or cotton balls
15. Use clothespins to pick up small pieces of crumbled paper
16. Use a small cup to eat a small snack out of, such as Skittles or M&Ms (the cup needs to be small enough so that your child has to use a tripod grasp to pull the items out)
17. Make pea sized putty balls with only one hand (works to strengthen and coordinate the muscles of the hand)
18. Pinch clothespins with thumb and index finger to place them on and off the rim of a container
19. Fill a baking sheet with sand or salt; use your index finger to write letters or draw objects
**Some ideas were adapted from Deanna Iris Sava, MS OTR/L
WAYS TO IMPROVE FINE MOTOR SKILLS:
1. Stack any type of coin or blocks to make a small tower
2. Manipulate playdough, silly putty, or clay
3. Hide and then find beads, marbles, or coins in silly putty or play dough
4. Draw on a chalkboard using chalk
5. Cut drinking straws and lace the pieces on a string
6. String pasta or cereal (Cheerios or Fruit Loops) on pipe cleaner or yarn
7. Roll and shake dice within the palm of one hand
8. Build with toothpicks and marshmallows
9. Have your child trace their hand and then cut it out
10. Fill a bucket with rice and hide objects within the rice for your child to discover
11. Hold Skittles and place on outline of picture
12. Play games such as: Jenga, Lite Brite, Operation, Hungry Hungry Hippos, Magna Doodle, Connect 4
13. Make an "O" with thumb, index and middle fingers
14. Use tweezers (hold between index finger and thumb) to pick up small objects or cotton balls
15. Use clothespins to pick up small pieces of crumbled paper
16. Use a small cup to eat a small snack out of, such as Skittles or M&Ms (the cup needs to be small enough so that your child has to use a tripod grasp to pull the items out)
17. Make pea sized putty balls with only one hand (works to strengthen and coordinate the muscles of the hand)
18. Pinch clothespins with thumb and index finger to place them on and off the rim of a container
19. Fill a baking sheet with sand or salt; use your index finger to write letters or draw objects
**Some ideas were adapted from Deanna Iris Sava, MS OTR/L