Hands - Activities To Boost Fine Motor Skills

When we found out that Jack would need some extra work on building up his fine motor skills we weren't really that surprised.  If you look at both Chris and my report cards from when we were in kindergarten and grade one neither of us were fine motor rock stars and each had comments about our needs for improvements from teachers until around grade two.

As we work with an Occupational Therapist to help Jack with building his hand strength and practicing pre-printing skills we've found a number of fun games, chores, and activities to try that both kids love. These activities help strengthen the hands, build confidence, and improve coordination all around.  The best part is the kids will often ask for some of these items, so to them it doesn't seem like work.

22 Activities to Increase Fine Motor Skills

1. Making paper snowflakes (scissors work).
2. Painting pictures on old boxes, toilet paper and paper towel rolls.
3. Hiding beads in a big ball of plasticine and having your kids pull out the beads using their hands to "win".
4. Building a snowman using pompoms, glue, pipe cleaners and googly eyes.
5. Party in a Bowl - Picking up paper "party guests" from off the floor using only clothes pegs to move them and placing them into the bowl (party).
6. Helping with the windows by spraying the window cleaner and scrubbing (they are super enthusiastic about this chore).
7. Sticker books where you place stickers to dress characters or anything where stickers should be placed in specific areas.
8. Making beaded bracelets.
   
   

   

   Adding the finishing touches on the paper rocket

9. Colouring just about everything (colouring and printing while laying on your belly across the floor increases arm support).
10. Sorting small objects like candy by colour for baking.
    
    

    

    Happy little elf ornaments

11. Picking up marbles using a spoon and moving them into a ball.
12. Using eye droppers to add steps to "experiments" (think food colouring, oil, and other things for easy kitchen science)
13. Playing with the play dough fun factory. (Both kids are particularly partial to the scented molding play dough they received for Christmas)
14. Bathtub squirt toys to shoot water at a target
15. Popping bubbles (another one for bath time in the winter months) with index finger to help develop hand-eye coordination.
16. Using sidewalk chalk
17. Making sand castles (you can also make your own indoor version of "cloud dough").
18. Making a doll clothes line and using clothes pins to hang up all of dolly's clothes.
19. Putting together nuts and bolts (can be a timed context for added fun).
20. Gluing beans, dried pasta, and seeds to create pictures.
21. Painting figurines or ornaments.
22. Decorating cookies or building gingerbread men & houses.

Dollar Store Gingerbread House

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