Fine motor skills

[athena1277]

Ds is 4yo. I'm trying to do more K readiness learning with him this year, when he wants to "do school" like big sis. I have noticed that whenever we practice any type of writing, like learning to write his name, that he really doesn't seem to have the fine motor skills needed to write. What activities are good for developing his fine motor skills? If it's something cheap or free, even better.

[amo_mea_filiis.]

He can write with his fingers in flour, sand, shaving cream on the bathtub wall, etc.

 

Play-doh, helping cook and bake, legos, puzzles, etc.

 

Not sure if this is an option for you, but my ds's favorite activity was laying on his belly on a low platform swing and using his hands to "walk" around and pick up things. We would do puzzles this way, or set up a car track on one side with the cars on the other. He had to be very careful not to knock the track down while he was turning.

 

Other than fingers and hands, make sure to also focus on the larger arm muscles and core strangth.

[meggie]

He can write with his fingers in flour, sand, shaving cream on the bathtub wall, etc.

 

Play-doh, helping cook and bake, legos, puzzles, etc.

 

Not sure if this is an option for you, but my ds's favorite activity was laying on his belly on a low platform swing and using his hands to "walk" around and pick up things. We would do puzzles this way, or set up a car track on one side with the cars on the other. He had to be very careful not to knock the track down while he was turning.

 

Other than fingers and hands, make sure to also focus on the larger arm muscles and core strangth.

 

:iagree: What she said.

 

I also make Pigby color, alternating every day between colored pencils and crayons. In a couple of months, I could see a very big improvement.

[Kirch]

Stringing beads or buttons (with large holes--at least the size of pony beads) on laces, yarn with tape on the ends, or pipe cleaners. Can also be used to practice patterns.

 

Scissors--let him cut randomly or snip a fringe around a piece of paper

 

Sorting small items (beads, beans, foam shapes, etc.) with fingers and with a spoon

 

Wikki Stix/Bendaroos or even pipe cleaners (bend and combine to make shapes/sculptures)

[*Lulu*]

In addition to many of the above, one of DS4's favorite activities is bolts and nuts. I have an assortment of sizes and he screws and unscrews them over and over!

 

I have found that Montessori inspired activites are really great at this age. There is a blog called counting coconuts where I have found a ton of great ideas.

[Momof3littles]

Montessori push pin work

picking up quarters and putting into a bank

transferring beads, pieces of popcorn, cotton balls, pom poms, etc. with tongs and tweezers

pinching clothespins (integrate into games, etc.)

drawing at an easel (works entire shoulder area vs. just hands)

pinching things out of clay (mix in small beads or doodads and let him dig through it and pinch things out of it).

rolling out playdoh (works shoulders, wrists, etc.)

stringing beads or small jingle bells with a hole at the top onto pipecleaners, yarn, string, small wooden skewers, etc

 

An often important and overlooked issue w/ fine motor skills is that proximal strength has an impact on the distal fine motor stuff. Working on core strength (abs, back, gluteal muscles) in addition to working on shoulder girdle strength can have a positive impact on fine motor skills.

[scrapbookbuzz]

Keep in mind that your son is FOUR and he's a BOY. That usually means motor skills develop LATER.

 

Playdough is great for developing the muscles needed to use with fine motor skills: squishing and molding it, sticking a tool in the playdough and twisting it, etc. I'm even using it with my 7yo and 12yo, for various reasons.

 

Some other things that are fun and help with strengthening those muscles:

 

*a "squishy" ball or water tube

*real nuts and bolts or plastic nuts and bolts (rotating the nut on and off the bolt)

*crawling around on the floor for 10 minutes/day (you can do races or other games this way)

 

HTH!

[TechWife]

 

Activities for Fine Motor Skills Development is an excellent resource.