We are yet to bring our children to their first fishing trip. If this play experience is anything to go by, I think they will be more determined than their mother to have some nice fish for dinner.

Materials

Large tub of water (we used our old baby bath)
Water beads
Small sieve with handle
Towels to line the immediate play area if playing indoors

How We Played

When water beads are placed in water they are very hard to see.

Swish, swish, swish. Time to scoop and catch some water beads.

Using a scoop is a fine motor skill that is easily incorporated into many types of daily play. It’s great for using both hands together; and building up the strength and stability of hands, fingers, shoulders, elbows and wrists.

Water beads are as slippery as fish and E managed to grab  some with his bare hands.

Now what does a tot do with something as squishy as water beads? Squish them of course.

 Yes, if this play experience is anything to go by, I think we’ll have some nice fish for dinner.

E: 1 year, 11 months
May 2012

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One day I walked into the art and craft store. The store assistant asked what I was after and I asked for some florist’s oasis. She asked what I needed them for and I told her, “So my kids can hammer golf tees into them”. “Hmmm,” she said. The sort of hmmm that was a polite way of saying, “You’re nuts lady”. After some explanation of the play I had in mind, she said, “Oh – we’ve got a hammer and cork board play set for that!”. Well, I think I’d just fallen in love that that store even more. I better not walk within 100 metres of that shop for the next few months.

 Materials
Hammer
Corkboard
Thumbnails
Predrilled pieces of wood

How We Played

Using one hand, stabilise the thumbnail into the board.
Using the other hand (usually the dominant hand), hammer  the nail into the board.

To start, we just hammered thumbnails into the board.

As N & M grew more confident with the tools, they hammered small wooden pieces to the cork board and created various pictures by putting different pieces together.

Ways to Extend the Play

Have races with each other – first to nail a set number of pieces to the board, etc.
Create patterns with the wood to be copied.
Mark places for the wood to be nailed to, aiming to improve accuracy.

Check out our other fine motor skill activities.

Be sure to follow along via our Facebook page (Lessons Learnt Journal) or Lessons Learnt Journal Pinterest Boards. We have many fun ideas to share.

N&M: 3 years, 11 months.
May 2012

The post Hammering by Pauline appeared first on Lessons Learnt Journal.

• Can’t apply the right amount of strength or pressure required;
• Don’t have the right grasp;
• Can’t effectively control the pens/pencils in their hands;
• Find it difficult to use both hands together;
• Unable to co-ordinate complicated hand and finger movements.

So, the more fine motor skill activities we provide for our children, the better we equip them to overcome the handwriting difficulties which may stumble them as writers.

Puzzles
Playing with puzzles is fine motor skills activity that can easily be changed to suit all ages and skills.

When working on puzzles, we practice the pincer grasp.
(Read our circles post for an outline of the different types of grasps and drawing skills we see in children ages 1-4).

We cross our midline and use both hands together.
If your child finds crossing their midline a challenge, place the puzzle pieces around him/her so they have to reach in all directions.

Add more puzzle pieces to increase the challenge.

Or hide puzzle pieces (in a bag or a box filled with a sensory filler like rice) to extend the activity.

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

We had an Easter egg hunt of our own and made play dough pinch pots as nests for our Easter Eggs.

To make your Easter Egg Nest:

Make a ball of play dough.

Poke a hole into the centre of the ball.

Pinch around the ball to make a pinch pot.

Pinching play dough is a great way to build up fine motor skills.

It works on finger strength, using both hands together and the pincer grasp.

Encourage children to pinch with their forefinger and thumb like a bird pecking food.

Place your eggs (chocolate or play dough) in your nest. How cosy.

Happy hunting!

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