Ideas for Developing Fine Motor Skills
Below are a few activities you might find helpful to promote functional grasp patterns:
- Squirt bottles can be used to promote pincer grasp. Activity ideas can be found here
- Bead stringing/lacing with tip of finger against thumb
- Practice screw and unscrew lids
- Activity ideas using bubble wrap to promote pincer grasp here
- Play dough can be used to promote pincer grasp. Activities can be found here
- Tear pieces of construction paper into small pieces and paste the different colors of paper on simple picture from a coloring book, or make your own design.
- Use tongs/tweezers to pick up blocks/small objects.
- Pennies into piggy bank or slot cut in plastic lid. Coins can also be put into slots cut in foam.
- Working on vertical surface, especially above eye level. Activities can be mounted on a clip board or tapes to surface or chalkboard/easel. Examples: pegboards, Lite Brite, Etch-a-sketch( upside down), Magna doodle, outlining, coloring, painting, writing.
- Clothespins/pinching. Put letters on clothespins and spell words by clipping on edge of shoe box. Use a clothespin to do finger "push-ups" by using the pads of the thumb and index finger to open a clothespin and count repetitions.