7 Fine Motor Activities for Toddlers
These seven activities will not only boost your child's finger coordination and speed ability, but your toddler will have fun while doing them. They will stay focused for a longer time.
1. Filling And Dumping Pom-Poms
Provide about 6-10 big pom-poms, various size yogurt containers and large spoons. Dump trucks, ice trays, muffin tins and other scoopers can also be added to this sensory bin activity. Your toddler can explore all these items by filling them up, sorting the pom poms, pouring them out, and using their fine motor skills as they see fit. This activity opens the door for exploration; your child can participate in repetition while doing different movements. Through this activity, they can also partake in self-talking, color sorting, texture feeling, counting, simple mathematical theories, testing out things, and problem-solving.
Parent tip. Please watch young toddlers because they will mouth the pom poms.
2. Playdough Making And Explorations
Making or playing with playdough is one of those activities that all children seem to enjoy. Provide a good amount of soft playdough, a few cookie cutters and other tools that cut, stamp, roll, and create patterns. Also, adding other large artistic materials such as scissors, oversized jewels, popsicle sticks, straws, and pipe cleaners can help take creativity to another level. Encourage your toddler to use imagination and model techniques such as rolling, squishing, and patting.
Making homemade playdough can be a fun and interactive activity that you can do with your child; this will give them a chance to use their social and sensory skills and partake in Science and Math. In addition, you can also do songs such as Patty cake, making a chart of the ingredients, asking questions, and add ingredients together.
An easy playdough recipe
1.5 cups of flour
1 tbsp. of cooking oil
1/2 cup of salt
1 cup of boiling water
One drop of vanilla extract
2 tbsp. of cream of tartar
2-3 drops of food coloring
3. Zipper, Buttons, And Busy Boards
These boards can help keep a toddler busy for a long time and create the right amount of challenges needed to help develop fine motor and mental skills. These dynamic boards are great for all ages and stages, some of these boards have zippers, snaps, buttons, hooks, things to pull, Velcro, laces, buckles, clips, and lots more. Busy boards can help build strength in the whole arm, new finger abilities and manipulation.
How to make homemade busyboard’s
Cut a medium-sized square piece of cardboard.
Crazy glue zippers, Velcro, strings, or any other things you want to add on.
Let the glue dry well, and then give it to your child to explore.
You can also use pieces of hard cloth and sew the different things onto the board.
A store-bought busy board idea
These busy boards have a mixture of things to explore on them. They are mostly made of quality wood, but some are made from fabric or look like large activity books. These boards can be placed flat on the ground or used on top of a table once they’re placed at your child’s level so that they can reach it.
A busy basket
This idea is a cheaper alternative to a busy board, all you need is a medium-sized basket and a few different objects for your child to explore. Items such as clothing or things that have large buttons, snaps, strings, zippers, buckles, or Velcro on them. For much older toddlers, this basket can be filled with more challenging things such as big keys and locks, clothespins, small boxes with lids, bolts, screws, and other items with zippers, snaps, buttons, buckles, and hooks.
4. Puzzles And Slot Toys
Toys such as puzzles, peg toys, or slot toys are great things to help your toddler build more eye-hand coordination skills, problem-solving skills, finger dexterity skills and perseverance skills. These kind of toys also promote the action of repetition so that your child can freely do the different motions over and over at differnt speeds as they test their memory.
Puzzles should
Have three to seven large pieces.
Have large circular knobs for easy holding.
Have different sounds.
The images should not be Black and White.
Have images that your child is familiar with and interested in.
Have a few realistic images.
Two great finger slot toys
5. Any Form Of Water Exploration
Most toddlers love and will stay playing and splashing in the water for a long time. This is because so many exciting and fun discoveries can happen with water and soap.
Fun water ideas
Fill 4-5 cups of warm water in a wide bin and add anything your child enjoys playing with.
Place some plastic dishes and a small cloth for washing.
Place some sea creatures and sea plants in the water.
Place some rocks, jewels, or water beads in the water. Then, add a pail to put the item in.
Add a bit of bubble bath soap and food coloring.
Place some large sponges in water for squeezing.
Place some plastic fish, nets, and filters in the water.
Place magnetic letters to collect in water using big spoons.
Place yogurt containers with holes, funnels, and watermills in the water.
Place some boats and ducks in the water.
Place some dolls to bathe in soap water.
Splashing and playing in a small swimming pool. Running through a sprinkler.
Montessori-focused water activities for toddler
Use spray bottles with water to spray and clean plants. Add a small cloth.
Water plants with a small watering can with a small amount of water.
Pouring water from a small jug from one cup to another.
Practicing washing hands in the sink, following all the steps.
Washing a few doll clothes at the sink on a washboard.
Washing and hanging things on a clothesline with clothespins.
Washing and wiping down chairs and tables with sponges.
Washing small cars with soap and water.
Cleaning small jars or plates and then placing them to dry.
Water Painting and color mixing.
Spoon water with a ladle from a big bowl to another big bowl.
Exploring different objects that sink and float.
Water transfer using a funnel and other tools.
Whisking dish soap in water and other safe liquids.
Washing windows.
Arranging flowers.
6. Messy Sensory Fun Explorations
1. Hand and feet painting exploration
Painting on different things such as tin foil, cardboard, construction paper, or bubble wrap using the hands, fingers, body parts, or feet can spark creativity and a lot of messy fun. Provide a few shades of washable paint colors, and doing these activities in as little clothing might be better for your child. Painting can be done inside or outside, and a lot of different art materials can be used.
2. Sand and cloud dough exploration
Soft sand or cloud dough can be used in this activity. A little bit of water can be provided in a spray bottle to change the texture. Add buckets, trucks, cups, shovels, sand shakers, small animals, oversized jewels, measuring cups, and large funnels.
3. Car washing exploration
Washing cars outside is fun and can create a real-life experience for your toddler. Add a bucket of water with soap, sponges, rags, and spray bottles. Also, having a garden hose, dry towels, and other oversized vehicles such as big bikes, scooters, trucks, and wagons. Wash the family car with your child to make this activity more realistic. Fake mud can be made using dirt, corn starch and water to add another level to this activity.
7. Realistic Home Helping Explorations
Give room and time each day for your toddler to help around the home; these are called practical tasks. These do not consist of only one thing; let your toddler choose how to be of help. Sometimes they might want to do self-helping things, such as practicing putting on and taking off their socks, putting away their shoes, or hanging up their jacket.
Self-helping activities
Socks. Place two pairs of socks so your child can practice putting them on and taking them off or folding the socks together.
Shoes. Place out a few pairs of shoes so that your child can practice putting them away in their correct spots. Your child can also practice opening and closing the Velcro, lining them up, and organizing them.
Hats. Place different hats near a large mirror and allow your child to practice putting them on and off. You might have to demonstrate how to put on the hats but let them try to figure it out first. For more challenges for older toddlers, add various kinds of hats, hats such as baseball caps, winter hats, and firefighter hats.
Sweeping. Place a child-size broom and dustpan within the home for cleaning. Your child can take it out and put it back after using it; it can be their special broom.
Helping. Have a little stool for your child to stand on so they can help you with the washing of dishes, simple food prep, setting the table, or putting away groceries.