Fine motor abilities are little motions attributable to hand use. Fine motor skills exercises are crucial for the growth of children under age five. The purpose is to prepare them for writing and to help them improve in their everyday activities. To help accelerate your child’s fine motor abilities, here are some ideas you can use. This article will show you how to improve your child’s fine motor skills.

Newborns

Their bodies are not ready to acquire fine motor abilities, but you may help them as they grow from day one to get along with these skills, no matter how minute these teachings may be. 

Massages with babies can help prepare their hands for subsequent muscle function.

Infants

Infants learn about their environment through their senses, mainly through hands-on exploration. Encourage and give your child the opportunity to grab, trap, and squeeze as many safe toys and items as possible. This exercise will build their muscles. (Always take note of their ignorance; infants usually don’t know anything about what they grab. They just grab. It’s your job to ensure they only grab safe toys.

• Textured blankets or rugs usually entice babies to scratch at them. Their fine motor abilities will improve due to this “scratching.”
• Shakers and rattles encourage infants to grab the object with their hands.
• When introducing solid foods, give your baby an extra spoon to grip.
• Pat with a drum or a hardback book.
• Move a ball or an object around to improve their sense of movement. They are quickly sensitive to these movements. 

Toddlers

Moving up, toddlers have more hand experience than infants, yet they still have much to learn. Fine motor abilities, like overall balance and coordination, are malleable. Use this time to improve their hand-eye coordination.

• Color with crayons.
• Encourage them to put their shoes on.
• Discard used newspapers.
• Practice using safety scissors.
• Zip coats and pants.
• Make play-dough.
• Cover a tennis ball with a funnel.
• Use puppets.
• Put toys in a box.
• Sponge paint.
• Use paintbrushes.
• Toss bean bags into the air and collect them.
• Read a story and let your child turn the pages.
• Sand and water table play.
• Encourage your child to help you stir, mix, and pour ingredients.

Preschoolers

Preschoolers have better hand control than previous generations. With repetition, babies can hold their hands and fingers in place for longer. This skill will prepare preschoolers for tracing and writing.

• Paint with cotton balls.
• Dry art with clothespins.
• Cut lines on paper for kids to follow.
• Tie your shoes.
• Make necklaces.
• Cook a meal together where they can practice cracking eggs or cutting with a butter knife.
• Letters on paper.
• Rice in the sensory sand and water table.
• Paint with thinner paintbrushes
• Do not use a cup or a spoon to measure
• Chalk forms.

These are just a few ideas for incorporating fine motor skill development into everyday play! Although, there are more activities you could engage with your child to improve fine motor skills if you search for them.