Fine Motor Activities
! Drawing on a vertical surface promotes development of fine motor control in young children. You may want to tape a piece of paper to the fridge (easier to wipe off stray marks) or use an easel.
! Provide large size pencils, crayons and chalk and large surfaces to color, paint or draw on: big pieces of paper, sidewalks with sidewalk chalk, etc. (See illustrations)
! Hole punches and scissors come in lots of different designs, such as squiggly lines and different shapes. Using a hole punch can strengthen hands and using different, fun tools sometimes makes a difficult task more rewarding.
! Games like “Bedbugs” require the use of plastic tongs which strengthen hands and develop the child’s fine motor skills. Using tweezers and medicine droppers for picking up things is fun and develops hand control
! Make necklaces or jewelry or gifts using macaroni strung onto a lace or glued onto a container. You can help the child spray with gold or silver spray paint and add glitter, or paint with poster paints or food coloring.
! Working with clay and play dough strengthens hands and develops fine motor skills. Using real dough can be very interesting for children. For example, let the child knead and shape bread or pizza dough to make their own hamburger bun or pizza. (See clay recipe)
! At celebration times, your child may be interested in making cards to give to family members and friends. A wide variety of papers and embellishments (feathers, pompoms, glitter, stickers, etc.) are available to make a fancy card.
! Make a picture frame by gluing popsicle sticks onto a piece of cardboard and inserting a picture. Your child may have fun gluing rocks, pine cones, etc. onto the frame to decorate it.
! Use stencils for your child to trace and make pictures and designs
! Make placemats out of construction paper for everyday and for special events. Your child can cut out objects from magazines or catalogs and glue them to the placemat to personalize it. (You can preserve the placemat by covering it with clear “Contact” paper) Napkin rings can be easily made to match by cutting sections of a paper tube and decorating it.
! Give your child a plain paper bag to decorate for a gift bag.
! Writing in shaving cream: spray shaving cream onto the table or a baking sheet. Let your child finger paint with it. You can add drops of food coloring to make the design more fun. (See shampoo paint recipe which follows)
! Ask your child to help you cook. Stirring, spreading, placing objects are all good fine motor activities.
!Display your child’s creations prominently.
!Cover the bottom of a pan or plastic container with a layer of sand or cornmeal. Your child can use his/her finger or a stick to “write” in the sand.
! Markers and crayons come in all kinds of fun styles. Some have shapes on the end to use as stamps, and some are scented.
! Make paper airplanes ! Give your beginning scissors user card weight junk mail to learn to cut. They can “shred” you junk mail for you while learning to use their hands.
Make learning fun—do interesting projects focusing on your child’s interests. For example, if your child is interested in dinosaurs, you can make a dinosaur picture with torn paper and shapes to represent the dinosaur habitat. Finish with dinosaur stickers.
Many more ideas are available on the internet and at the public library!
Play dough
3 cups flour
1 cup salt
1 cup water
1/4 cup oil
2 Tablespoons vinegar
Mix all ingredients well. Add more water if needed, but avoid making too wet to handle. Knead until smooth. Keep in a tightly closed container or bag.
Clay to make beads
3/4 cup flour 1/2 cup salt 1/2 cup cornstarch warm water Mix dry ingredients together. Gradually add warm water until the mixture can be kneaded into shape. Make beads by rolling into little balls, piercing the balls with a toothpick or knitting needle and allowing the balls to dry. Paint the bead. Allow to dry and string them when thoroughly dry. (Does not store well—use as soon as you make it.)
Cornstarch Fun Mixture (Make this with your kids; it is fun to watch!)
1/2 cup cornstarch 1/4 cup water food coloring
teaspoon measuring spoon small plastic container
Place cornstarch into container. Slowly add water, 1 teaspoon at a time. Stir the mixture after each time you add water. Feel it with your hands.
Continue adding water until the mixture is a thick paste. Observe changes as you add the water. Without mixing them in, add 3 drops of food coloring (may be the same or different colors). Observe as the colors mix into the cornstarch.
Finger Paint 1
Put a few drops of food coloring into some plain yogurt (buy the cheapest kind for this activity—you won’t be eating it.) This dries to a shiny surface.
Finger Paint 2
1/2 cup cornstarch 3/4 cup cold water 2 cups hot water 2 teaspoons mouthwash as preservative 1 Tablespoon glycerin (at crafts stores or pharmacy)
Mix cornstarch and 1/4 cup water in a saucepan to make a paste. Add hot water, stirring to prevent lumps. Cook over low heat until mixture begins to boil. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup cold water and the mouthwash. Divide and pour into jars. Add food coloring and stir to mix. Keep tightly closed.
Shampoo paint (cheaper than shaving cream and just as much fun)
3 teaspoons shampoo and a small amount of water. Whip with an electric mixer until it is thick and creamy. Add food coloring if you want to.
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