Fine motor activities that get kids ready to write

Long before your children start learning to write, they’re developing all the tiny little muscles and coordination in their hands that they’ll need for the job.  One of the best ways to help with that fine motor development is through good old fashioned arts and crafts!  The more opportunities toddlers and preschoolers have to exercise those little muscles through interesting and varied opportunities, the faster and more easily they’ll be able to master a pencil when it comes time to write.

Here are 10 unique fine motor activities to help your children get ready to write!

1- Using an eye dropper is fantastic for developing precision in a pincer grasp.  Make individual rain drops on an umbrella with this  Looks Like Rain! craft to brighten up a gloomy day.

 

2- Sorting small objects is another way to develop precision fine motor skills.  My daughters sorted Valentine beads, but of course you could tailor the idea to any holiday or season.  Psst!  You’re also getting in some early math practice with this activity!

 

3- Cutting, gluing, and placing small pieces of paper all give the brain practice in coordinating hand and finger movements.  An open ended activity, or invitation to create, adds a valuable element of process art, as well.  Our favorite has been making a cupcake factory.

 

4- Making simple spring necklaces is another activity for precision fine motor work.  Your child will work on bilateral coordination as she holds beads with one hand and the lacing cord with another. These paper beads are fairly easy to work with and a good choice for younger preschoolers.  My daughters made theirs in spring colors, but any colors would be lovely!

5- You can also help your child to develop fine motor skills with yarn wrapping.  It requires her to hold the yarn in a different way than what she may be used to; she’ll gently run the yarn through her whole hand instead of just focusing on the fingers.  Lining up the strands, using the correct amount of tension, and exploring how to wrap around curves are all unique challenges.  We’ve done several yarn wrapping projects, but rainbow yarn wrapping may be my favorite.

 

6- “Over, under, over, under.”  Paper weaving develops concentration, spatial skills, AND fine motor skills!   Start with basic rainbow paper weaving.  After that, the possibilities are endless!

7- Let’s not forget about blocks!  Balancing, stacking, arranging, and manipulating blocks are great opportunities for working some of the larger hand, wrist, and forearm muscles that your child will need in order to write effectively.  With Ten Apples Up On Top: Counting and stacking, you can combine a preschool story time favorite with math AND fine motor skills.

 

8- Hand your child a roll of tickets along with a simple decorated container and you’ve got  fine motor skills under the Big Top.  Tearing tickets strengthens finger and hand muscles, and manipulating the tickets into the container develops hand-eye coordination.

9- Have you ever met a child who didn’t LOVE bandages?  Me neither!  With alphabet bandage bears your child gets to indulge in her love affair with bandages, develop fine motor skills, AND practice letter recognition.  It’s a win-win (win).  The stickiness of the bandages adds an extra element of challenge!

10- Even children who are not crafty will enjoy making a DIY paper dinosaur hat.  It involves plenty opportunities for cutting, gluing, and folding paper.  When you’re finished, your child can stomp away to her heart’s content.

 With a steady diet of arts and crafts, your preschooler will be ready to write!

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Ellen writes at What Can We Do With Paper and Glue.  After a crafty childhood and a few years as a very crafty teacher, she now stays home with her two young crafty daughters.  She loves writing about preschool theme weeks, book lists, and (most of all) simple and easy crafts for kids.   

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