Parents, Are You Doing These 5 Activities with Your Preschooler To Teach Them Fine Motor Skills?
October 12, 2020
Our preschool teachers help children develop fine motor skills at school and believe it’s important to supplement this at home.
Activities to Teach Fine Motor Skills
Fine motor skills are important for early childhood development because they build the foundation for future skills like reading, writing and self-care (such as dressing and showering). Our staff recommends these 5 activities to teach fine motor skills when your preschooler is not in the classroom:
- Play dough and putty. The popular play clay that so many of us grew up with is still a valuable tool for enhancing fine motor skills. Your child can do many things with the clay, such as making different shapes, stretching it and even trying to cut it with scissors. This teaches them to work with their hands and put things together, which prepares them for reading, writing and other important skills they will learn in school.
- Playing with sand. Next time you’re at the beach or a playground with sand, encourage your preschooler to build a castle or just scoop the sand and feel it in their fingers. If you’re up for the challenge, you can even build a sandbox in your yard so your preschooler can play to their heart’s content.
- Finger painting. This messy, but fun, activity is perfect for giving preschoolers an early start on developing their fine motor skills. The simple act of moving their fingers around the canvas or paper helps your preschooler improve their manual dexterity, discover different textures and even learn about colors as a bonus.
- Building blocks. Playing with blocks teaches preschoolers how to grasp, lift and construct patterns using a visual example. It’s a fun activity you can do together, and it won’t even feel like work!
- Pipe cleaners. Pipe cleaners are a surprisingly versatile tool for keeping your preschooler busy and enhancing their fine motor skills. Twisting the cleaners into different shapes teaches them to work with their fingers, and you can even teach them to make macaroni necklaces once they have simpler concepts down for some family fun.
At Les Enfants Preschool, we use the Creative Curriculum to help our students grow and develop, which incorporates fine motor activities into their routine. Contact us today at 201-592-6695 or info@lesenfantschildcare.com to learn more!
