Ideas For Toddlers To Mature Their Fine Motor Skills
By daily doing exercises that provoke coordination, using the fingers and hands, your child's fine motor skills can continue getting faster, stronger and new abilities will emerge.
1. Bubble Exploration Fun
To extend this bubble activity
Make loud and quiet popping sounds together with your mouth and hands.
Introduce words such as ‘‘bubbles’’, ‘‘poping’’, and ‘‘blowing”’.
Ask your child about the feeling of the bubbles.
Look at the bubbles floating up and then try to find them.
Catch the bubbles and pretend to put them in an invisible basket.
Count with your child as you pop the bubbles.
Step, jump, and stomp on the bubbles.
Sing the song if you are happy and know it, but say only things to do with the bubbles.
Ask your child open-ended questions about the bubbles.
2. Muscles Movements
Physical finger and hand exercise
Singing or listening to songs that have finger and hand movements can be great for building coordination, precision, and speed control.
Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes.
Doing the actions to The Wheels On The Bus.
Baby Shark.
Playing instruments while having a marching band.
Doing finger puppets with music.
Simon says, dancing with scarves or the Hokie Pokie.
Playing a game of hot potato.
Counting while clapping.
Singing Open and Shut Them songs.
Singing five speckled frogs.
Playing Simon says using just hand and arm motions.
Try challenging hand movements such as finger-snapping.
Body stretching and massages
Yoga
Music can be added as your child does different physical full-body movements. Movements such as reaching for the sky, shaking hands and arms out, clapping hands, or doing yoga poses.
Massage
Massaging gently your child’s fingers, hands, shoulders, arms, and doing gentle stretching of your child’s legs and arms can help activate their muscles and blood flow.
‘‘Massage strokes and passive movements help inform the child’s brain about the many different qualities of her skin, such as its temperature, flexibility, and thickness. During massage she also, receives information about her body’s position in space, its muscle tension, its movement, and its relationship to other people, and objects in the environment’’ (Sinclair, 2005, p.9 ).
Whole-Body Movements
Play music with songs that require full-body movements, different speeds, and repetition.
Incorporate a mixture of grasping toys that require both upper and lower body movement.
Toys that have buttons, snaps, clips, slides, wheels, lids, and different-sized pieces are great to use.
These toys can be used inside or outside, but ensure your child has enough space to stretch, use their muscles, and strengthen their bodies
3. Awakening Eye-hand Coordination
Provide enough opportunities for your child to keep developing and using their finger, hands, eyes, and arm muscles. Skills such as finger flexibility, grasping, hand speed, arm-hand coordination, using different-sized toys, and using both hands can be strengthened by repetition. Fine motor activities should sometimes be done independently.
Open-Ended Toy Exploration
Gluing and pasting things onto paper.
Painting with different brushes and objects.
Lacing shoelaces through large holes.
Washing bugs in the soap water using sponges.
Completing puzzles.
Fastening clothing.
Building things using wooden blocks.
Peeling big stickers or tape.
Digging in the sandbox.
Using playdough tools.
Throwing balls.
Colouring and drawing with markers.
Give your child space
There is a natural need for your child to be inquisitive and seek independence. Think about safety before exposing your child to an area, so that they can explore without many restrictions or constant interruptions.
Each day, give your toddler time and space for them to master, practice, and strengthen all their existing and new skills.
Praise your child’s efforts
Praise and applaud your child's efforts each time they attempt any form of physical skill or task.
When noticing your child’s successes or failures, say positive praises or encouraging comments to help boost their self-confidence.