Fine motor skills refers to the strengthening of small muscles in the hand which are used in fine movements. These skills are demonstrated in: grasping (e.g. using a pencil or blocks); manipulating (e.g. scissors, play dough);and hand-eye coordination (e.g. writing, using a mouse to move a cursor).
Encouraging children to build up their fine motor skills is important. Poor fine motor skills can affect the legibility of their handwriting, which contributes to the development of their literacy / communication skills. The stronger their fine motor skills, the easier it will be for them to manipulate and control a range of materials and tools.
How to make a Black and White Collage
Materials:
black cardboard
white paper
marker / pencil
scissors
glue
1. Draw several lines from the top to the bottom of the paper. These lines could be straight or curved.
2. Cut the white paper on the marked lines.
3. Spread out the white strips across the black cardboard.
4. Glue the white strips in place.
Fine Motor Skills Promoted
This fine motor activity, creating a black and white collage, provides children with opportunities to develop their fine motor skills with the actions of gripping, holding, cutting, squeezing, patting and pasting.
Their fine motor skills are also developed as they use various tools: scissors, markers and glue sticks.
In this particular activity, they are working with different surfaces: paper and cardboard, some wet and some dry. The variety of surfaces provides further scope for developing their fine motor skills.
More Activities for Preschoolers
Three to Five: Playful Preschool is stuffed to the brim with tried, tested and loved playful learning ideas for preschoolers. There are 25+ ideas for preschoolers, ten printable resources and additional links to over 50 more activities. A great resource for parents. Download your copy here.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment; I’d love to hear from you. If you are new here, you might like to receive updates direct to your email. We have many fun ideas to share.
About the author
- More at
