As I sit here racking my brain for a way to begin this post about fine motor skills, my Miss K (2yo) is banging away in our writing and art area. She’s got a tub filled with markers and stamp markers, and is happily creating, with stamps and scribbles on a bright blue piece of paper.

Seems like an ordinary thing, and I’m grateful that we get to have moments like that regularly, so it is very much part of our every day. Surrounding kids every day with opportunities to develop their fine motor skills helps them strengthen the hand muscles they need for fine movements.

Here is a fun and engaging fine motor skill activity that is used regularly in my kindergarten classroom. It was new to me, and I love it so much that I’ve wanted to share it here on the blog for awhile now. I’m glad I am finally putting this post together!

We use pin pricking activities to help children build up their fine motor skills. The stronger their fine motor skills, the easier it will be for them to manipulate and control a range of materials and tools, like pencils, scissors, brushes, etc.

The pin pricking activity shown here, was put together by one of the other kindergarten teachers at my school. We used it as one of our phonics activities for “i”. The idea behind a pin pricking activity is very simple. Children use something sharp, like a toothpick or pin, to prick a hole at every dot on the page.

We were out of pins and toothpicks at home, so Mr 3 used one of our bento food picks.

I encourage children to use a pincer grip during the activity by asking them to create a quacking duck with their thumb and index finger. I then place the pick in between their thumbs and index finger.

To create a pin prick activity of your own, simply find either a letter, a word, or a picture, or a combination of these. Draw large (or small) dots on the letter, words, pictures.

To play, find a spot on the carpet. With Mr E, I also placed a cork board that came with our tap tap set as a base for the activity. However, in my classroom, the children comfortably do the activity on the carpet. Your child will also need a pin, toothpick or food pick. They have to prick a hole at every dot on the page. When the activity is done, it’s fun to flip the page over and see the image they have created with their holes. It’s also lovely to have light shine through the finished page, after the pin pricking has been done.

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.

The post Fine Motor Skills: Pin Pricking by Pauline appeared first on Lessons Learnt Journal.

When kids are involved in creating art, they are surrounded by many opportunities for them to develop their fine motor control. 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, manipulating and hand-eye coordination.

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. The easier they find handwriting, the less obstacles there will be to the (already complex) process of learning to write.

Exploring Painting Tools

Here’s a very simple, open ended art activity for kids, that builds up their fine motor skills.

You’ll need:

• A3 sized paper (or larger)
• A selection of paints
• A selection of unusual things to paint/print with. We have used a few bottle cleaning brushes, plastic forks, plastic knives, sponge nerf gun bullets, novelty shaped sponges.

Divide the piece of paper into four by folding it into quarters.

Paint each quarter using a different painting tool. Experiment with different ways to use the tools.

I also let the boys mix up their own colours – (eventually we got that standard brown/grey paint happening).

What are some painting tools your kids enjoy using?

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.

The post Fine Motor Activities: Exploring Painting Tools by Pauline appeared first on Lessons Learnt Journal.

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.

The post Fine Motor Activities: Black & White Collage by Pauline appeared first on Lessons Learnt Journal.

Baby Motor Skills

 
I once caught a snippet of a documentary presenting the remarkable fact that healthy babies of all cultures achieve the same milestones in the same consistent sequence at roughly about the same time. Baby motor skills progress in a consistent manner, regardless of culture.

 
Having had four babies within the tiny space of three and a half years, this remarkable fact about baby motor skills still astounds me.

 
There are variances, of course,  in a baby’s rate of motor development. My twins were walking at about nine months and ever so eager to bounce, flip and spin. My daughter Miss K on the other hand is almost nine months old and enjoys exploring our living room by rolling from one corner to another.

 
Regardless of the rate at which my kids developed their gross and fine motor skills, they all enjoyed those precious months of early baby play. They all went through a phase when box play was all the craze; and as long as there was a ball around, there was always a baby ball game to play, no matter what stage of development they were at.

Baby Motor Skills Milestones

 
There are two types of baby motor skills: gross and fine.

 
Gross motor skills involve the coordination of the large muscles groups; trunks and limbs. They help us move from place to place.

 
Fine motor skills involve the smaller muscles of the arms and hand and help us manipulate our surroundings.

 
Baby Gross Motor Skills and their typical month of onset*

• Holds head up and steady (1-2)
• Lifts head and chest whilst on tummy (2-3)
• Sits whilst supported (2-3)
• Rolls tummy to back (3-4)
• Rolls back to tummy (3-4)
• Sits alone (6-8)
• Pulls to stand (8-9)
• Crawls (9)
• Cruise walking (9-10)
• Stands alone (11-12)
• Walks alone (12-13)

 
Baby Fine Motor Skills and their typical month of onset*

• Reflexive grasp (birth)
• Ineffective pre-reaching (1-3)
• Voluntary grasp (3)
• Successful reach and grasp (4-5)
• Controlled reach and grasp (6-7)
• Pincer grasp with thumb and forefinger (9)
• Claps hands (10)
• Releases objects crudely (12-14)
• Controlled release (18)

 
* Source: What’s Going on In There? By L. Eliot (2000)

 
As with anything, there is a range in what is considered normal for baby motor skills. Roughly, what is deemed normal is reaching between two and seven months; sitting alone between five and nine months and walking well between nine and fifteen months.

Supporting a Baby’s Motor Development

 
L. Eliot (2000) makes the interesting point that practise is essential for baby motor skill development, provided it’s done at the right time, i.e. when a baby is ready for it.

 
If done too early, you could end up training the wrong neural pathways or simply frustrate and discourage the baby. However, when ready, baby motor skill practise is required to refine skilled movement.

 
As Miss K. enjoys rolling around and grasping at things, I am reminded to provide her with a safe, unrestricted environment for exploration so she can practise and refine her baby motor skills.

 
It would also be good to remember the importance of sensory feedback, and the important role her sense of balance and motion plays in her development.

 
Baby proofing our home seems to be a never ending process; but they do seem to grow ever so quickly.

K: 8 months
July 2012

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