Developing fine motor skills
Developing fine motor skills
Even at toddler age, it is not too soon to begin developing fine motor skills that they will use throughout their lives.
By Kelly Kaiser Borning, MS, OTR/L
There is a natural progression of fine motor skills as a child develops. A child learns to control his body from the inside out – or in this case, starting at the shoulder and working the way down to the fingertips. Obviously, the first time a toddler picks up a crayon, he does not hold it in a mature grasp. Most three year-olds also do not know how to use scissors (which is not always a bad thing). However, there are some things parents can work on at home to help develop these skills, even before sending kids off to preschool or kindergarten.
Give your kids plenty of input through the arms. Have them do activities like animal walks, playing tug-of-war, carrying a few books, pulling a loaded wagon, or moving furniture (their size, of course). Any input to the arms helps children develop that inside out development. This helps them gain a better sense of where their bodies are in space and how it relates to the world around them. This is a necessary skill to have before children will be able to control a crayon or scissors (or other small items, such as blocks or utensils at a dinner table).
To help develop a writing grasp, have your child color with broken crayons (if your child is still putting inappropriate things in his mouth, adult supervision is required to prevent choking). Any small item forces a child to use his finger pads on the utensil instead of grasping it in a fisted manner. Other items that are easy to come by include broken chalk or worn down pencils (colored or not). Also, writing on a vertical surface helps develop a mature grasp (helps with wrist extension). Simply taping a piece of paper to a wall or refrigerator is one way to do this. However, you may want to watch your child to be sure he doesn’t go off the paper onto the wall! If you have access to a child-sized easel, great!
Scissor skills are for the older toddler, however, it is never too early to develop the same skills/motions with other activities. Have your toddler water the plants in the house with a squirt bottle. Also, have your toddler use tongs to pick up various items in the house – cotton balls, toys, food, etc. These activities will help develop the muscles used for cutting as well as familiarize them with the motion. When he is ready for real scissors (with supervision), use child scissors (such as Fiskars) and have him begin cutting thicker materials, such as straws, index cards, play dough, construction paper, and work toward the more difficult, thin paper as he gets better.
Let your child decide when he is ready for some of these activities, but also have them available and show him how to do them. It is important for children to be exposed to a variety of activities, sounds, sights, smells, and movement to develop a rich, full sensory system. Even if you do not think he is “getting it”, more than likely the exposure will be helpful later down the road. Peer models are great, and older siblings are usually more than willing to help with these activities, so include them in the fun.
Kelly Kaiser Borning is a licenced Occupational Therapist working in a pre-school setting.
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