*This is a collaborative post
Tying shoelaces, using a spoon, and pressing buttons all require a group of skills known as fine motor skills. These can be built through practice and play can make that possible. We have teamed up with a senior school in Lincolnshire to share how you can help your child to develop fine motor skills through play.
Rubber Ducks
Bath time requires mandatory rubber ducks, and these can help your child to practice their gripping and squeezing skills as they hose down the bath or squirt you with water.
Playdough
The malleable dough can be used to create almost anything and requires pinching, rolling, pressing, and cutting. All which utilise fundamental fine motor skills while allowing your child to explore their creativity through unstructured play.
Rice Race
All you’ll need for this one are two bowls of rice, two empty bowls, an eager beaver and fingers to pinch. Once you have all of that at the ready, you can race your child to see who can transfer their rice from one bowl to another the fastest.
A Tea Party for Your Monsieur or Madame
A tea party requires setting a table with lots of fancy cutlery. This in itself requires fine motor skills to pick up, hold and place cutlery nicely at a table. They are also needed when sipping tea, picking up and cutting food.
Putting on a Musical Performance
Musical toys such as guitars, drums and pianos all require finger work, strumming and tapping to play. This allows children to explore the arts and their creative side from an early age.
Colouring
Colouring is another way that you can get your child to build and practice using their fine motor skills. A lot of hand eye coordination and gripping is needed to colour and stay within the lines.
