21 Fun Fine Motor Activities for Toddlers & Preschoolers (2024)

FAQs

What is an example of a preschool classroom activity that promotes fine motor development? ›

Teachers may organize activities like finger painting, cutting with scissors, playing with playdough, using tweezers to pick up small objects, or lacing beads—all of which help kids refine their finger movements and hand coordination.

Fine motor skills involve small muscles working with the brain and nervous system to control movements in areas such as the hands, fingers, lips, tongue and eyes. Developing fine motor skills helps children do things like eating, writing, manipulating objects and getting dressed.

Play-dough and putty are often used as part of the heavy work component of a sensory diet. They can also help improve a child's fine motor skills. Encourage your child to squeeze, stretch, pinch and roll “snakes” or “worms” with the play clay. You can even have your child try to cut the play-dough with scissors.

Specific activities that support gross motor development include running at different speeds, jumping rope, playing hopscotch, tossing and catching balls of different sizes, pitching bean bags, climbing in many different directions, pedaling riding toys, pulling wagons or toys, pushing toy strollers or brooms, and ...

At age 3, children are developing fine motor control: they're more able to move their fingers independently, using them in more complex tasks such as holding writing utensils like an adult, cutting with scissors and making more complex and precise drawings.

Fine motor skills involve the use of the smaller muscle of the hands, commonly in activities like using pencils, scissors, construction with lego or duplo, doing up buttons and opening lunch boxes.

Around age 2, it dawns on toddlers that that they can control their possessions. This possessiveness is normal, and it signals a growing independence. But there's more at play here. At this point, your toddler doesn't recall that the possessions they give you always come back to them safely.

What are fine motor tasks for preschoolers? ›

Fine motor skills are all about those small, intricate movements kids make with their hands and fingers. Think about picking up small objects, holding a crayon to draw, or cutting paper with safety scissors. These skills may seem small, but they're a big deal in your child's development.

Motor Activities

Practicing supervised cutting encouraging a thumbs-up position for straight / curved lines. Cut clay with blunt scissors. Placing a variety of forms (blocks, felt, paper, string, yarn, cereal cotton) on outlines. Matching shapes, colors, or pictures to a page and paste them within the outlines.

Sensory motor skills allow a child to express through physical activity the information they receive through their senses, including sight, hearing, touch, balance, and proprioception, or awareness of knowing where the body is in space is used.

Fine motor skills involve the use of the smaller muscle of the hands, commonly in activities like using pencils, scissors, construction with lego or duplo, doing up buttons and opening lunch boxes.

Fine motor skills are finger and hand skills such as writing, cutting, opening lunch boxes, and tying shoelaces.