Fine motor skills help your child perform important everyday tasks, like grasping objects, holding utensils, and using their fingertips to buttoning up their coat. That’s why it’s important to help encourage their development of these fundamental skills early on. Whether your child is a preschooler or already in Kindergarten, here are some creative games for enhancing fine-motor skills in children.
Get Messy With Play-Dough
Play-dough or even DYI slime are excellent playtime objects to use for developing fine-motor skills in children. The pliable texture of them lets kids use it many different ways. They can roll it into different shapes, stretch it out, tear it apart, and get creative with it. So the next time you’re in the department store or toy section, grab some putty or Play-dough to let your kids get messy while doing something that will benefit their development. You can also hop online for DIY slime recipes if you’re keen on finding a fun project for your kids!
Have Paint Party
Whether it’s finger painting or using a brush, both methods are fun and very effective at improving dexterity and eye and hand coordination. Your child can learn how to grab onto the brush or trace and manoeuvre their fingers in certain ways to create imaginative and colourful works of art.
Go Crazy With Bubbles
Kids love to blow bubbles, and it’s also helpful for strengthening their fine-motor skills, too! Showing them how to clinch onto the bubble wand, dip it into the soapy solution and blow out bubbles will put a smile on their face while getting them used to coordinating between their hands, fingers, and mouth.
Get Creative With Pipe Cleaners and Colanders
This is a simple, creative activity, but it gets kids focused on something while playing at the same time. All you need is a colander with holes that are large enough to fit pipe cleaners in. Once you have both, let your child have some fun identifying colours, threading the pipe cleaners through the holes and creating cool patterns across the bowl. With some paper and glue, they can also create works of art, sticking differently coloured pipe cleaners onto the paper to make all kinds of imaginative shapes and collages.
Try these simple and creative games for enhancing fine-motor skills in your children. At Tiny Hoppers, we offer enriching programs that teach kids fundamental skills while having fun. Learn more about our programs, daycare services and locations by getting in touch. Our helpful staff will be glad to answer any questions you have!
