Your little one might not be able to pick things up, grip and pinch at the moment but with practice they will surely be able to do so. All of these actions require what are known as fine motor skills to co-ordinate movements in our small muscles. These tend to be in the fingers, hands, feet, and toes. An independent girls’ school in London has a brilliant list of activities that you can use to help your child build them.
Weaving Coloured Paper
Weaving involves cutting up strips of assorted paper and wefting them through one another to create designs or new sheets. Start by lining them up parallel with gaps in between and stick the narrow end of each down to a sheet of paper or pipe cleaner. From there, you need to thread strips going in the opposite direction to create your own weaved pattern.
Plant Together
Planting provides a sensory experience and helps children learn about the natural world. They can practice picking things up and gripping as they dig with their small shovels and plant individual seeds.
Bead Bracelets
This is one that both girls and boys can enjoy. They can make cool wristbands and bracelets using DIY kits or things that they find around the house like pasta and string. As they thread their beads or homemade accessories through, they will learn how to hold, pinch and tie.
Water Play
Rubber ducks are great for keeping children entertained during bath time and can be just as beneficial for building their fine motor skills as they learn how to press and squeeze.
Lego
Toys like Lego that can be pulled apart and connected to one another are also good for this. They help children to exercise their creativity and build strength as force is needed.
We started with threading penne pasta through a shoelace. My daughter really liked that. Lego and wooden blocks have also been a firm favourite in our house hold too