At a few months old, your little one will begin to pinch, grab, and hold. These movements rely on small tissues found in the hands and wrists. Fine motor skills as they are called are important to practise so that they are able to strengthen their hand-eye coordination and complete day to day activities by themselves. Below are a few exercises that were shared by a nursery in Islington which you can use to help.
Tea Party
If your son or daughter fancies baking and putting on a tea party, it’s a great way to get them using their fine motor skills. While you will need to keep a close eye on them, you can get them to help you stir, mix, and pour the ingredients that you need. Also, you can use it as an opportunity to teach them table manners and how to eat properly using cutlery.
Painting
Another activity which you can do together is painting. With child friendly paints, you can help your child to grip and hold whilst they make steady brush strokes. They will be introduced to art and have the opportunity to develop their creative skills.
Music
Music has profound benefits for children. It can help them in strengthening their creative thinking skills, memory and building their fine motor skills as they are needed to grip and strum.
Drawing
Children must learn to hold their pens and pencils up straight for school and they can get a head start by drawing at home. First, offer your hand as a guide to help them hold their pencil in place and follow before letting them have a go on their own.
Tidying Up
Once they’re done playing, you can teach your child to put their things away. It will teach them about organisation and instil good habits whilst enabling them to work on their fine motor skills.
