Fine Motor Activities
1. Pom poms in a whisk
This activity is super simple to make and is directed towards working on your child’s pinching motion. Cotton swabs would also work instead of pom poms.
2. Popsicle sticks in a coffee can.
This activity has many variations but works great for hand-eye-coordination. After washing a coffee can, peanut butter jar, or some other plastic container, cut a few holes in the lid so that a popsicle stick may slide through.
3. Cutting spaghetti
Yup, this is exactly as it sounds. Cutting with scissors is actually a fine motor skill that needs a bit of practice. Many children choose to cut with both hands when using scissors, but it is important to encourage your child to work on the opening and closing motion. To do this activity, simply cook spaghetti until it is soft and let your child cut it with scissors. If you want to make the spaghetti a funky colour add food colouring to the water and leave in a pot/container overnight.
4. Pull the pipe cleaners
Using a colander, poke pipe cleaners through the holes until there are many pipe cleaners sticking out like crazy hair. Next have your child pull the pipe cleaners out. The motion of pulling the pipe cleaners out will work on their grasping and pinching motion.
5. Rescue the animals
Take play animals or any object you think your child could rescue, and tape it to a surface. Next have your child ‘rescue’ the animal by pulling at the tape until the animal is free. The motion this activity is working on is pinching and pulling.
6. Spray bottle fun
Playing with spray bottles is a great way to entertain your child while working on their grasp. There are many different scenarios you can use the bottles for, but surprisingly one of the best activities I’ve found that has the best results is simply helping you clean. Now i’m not saying you should give your child a spray bottle filled with water and let them run free in the house. Instead what I find they like to do (especially if you have work that needs to be done outside, is to have them help you ‘clean’ the fence, or ‘clean’ the deck off. Young children love to help out so if you give them something that makes them feel as if they are being assistance, you won’t be able to wipe their smile off of their face.