How to Promote Dexterity and Fine Motor Skills with Children

Having and developing dexterity and fine motor skills are an important part of everyone’s childhood. These skills help develop the tiny hand muscles that are important in doing everyday tasks. Such as buttoning clothes, grasping a toothbrush or fork, and carrying all sorts of items. A great way to promote these skills is by crafting, which is an activity that kids love to do anyway. Here are some great ways to help little ones promote fine motor skills and dexterity with crafts.

Use Small Writing Utensils

When your child’s crayon or piece of chalk breaks, do not just throw it out and grab new colors from a fresh box. Instead, hang onto those broken pieces and make sure your child colors with the broken pieces as well. The smaller size makes the crayons or chalks harder to hold onto, which really works their hand muscles and developing those skills even further. Also, while your kiddos are practicing writing their letters, consider using those mini pencils you would find at a miniature golf course, for the same concept.

Use Everyday Staples Around the House

Surely you have a box of pasta and maybe even some yarn lying around. Turn those into your craft for the day, by having your child make a macaroni necklace. To really tune those skills, and others, such as hand-eye coordination, use a few different styles of pasta. Start out with big mostaccioli noodles, and also incorporate smaller elbow noodles. Noodles with a smaller opening will really make your child concentrate to push the string through.

Incorporate Scissors Into Crafts

Instead of having all of the shapes cut out and ready to be colored and glued, allow your children to cut out their own shapes! Believe it or not, there is a right and wrong way to cut paper. By keeping the scissor hand still and maneuvering the paper that needs to be cut your children will be concentrating more on how they are holding the scissors, than the paper itself.

As your child does these crafts to promote dexterity and fine motor skills, sit beside them. You can help aid them in developing their fine motor skills. Don’t become frustrated if your little kids don’t do well with these tasks the first time, as it takes time to build these skills up.