Fine motor skills are the ability to move the fingers and wrist precisely. They shape how a child holds a spoon, does up buttons and later writes. The good news is that play trains them.
1. Scooping and pouring
Two bowls, a spoon and beans or rice. The child scoops from one bowl to the other. Later, try water and a small jug.
2. Threading
Large beads, pasta or buttons on a shoelace. Start with big pieces and gradually move to smaller ones.
3. Clothes pegs
Clip clothes pegs onto the edge of a box or a string. This strengthens the fingers that will later hold a pencil.
4. Modelling
Play dough, kinetic sand or homemade dough. Rolling balls, making snakes, cutting with a child-safe knife.
5. Building sets
Lego and other building sets train grip and imagination at the same time. Let your child build without instructions too.
Always stay close when a child plays with small objects. At the center, there is time every day for fine motor play with kinetic sand, play dough, beads and Lego.