Play is an important learning tool in all areas and at all ages, especially in children who are in their first stage of development. When the game is applied for the development of fine motor skills , the child is being helped to use his fingers as tweezers, a skill that will be necessary for writing, and to acquire a lot of more totally practical skills for his growth and development, as well as for their development in the later stages of school.
That is why in this article we have wanted to develop 5 simple games that you can do at home and have a good time with the little ones, especially from 6 months. These games and manipulation and creativity practices will help children to develop fine motor skills in that very important early childhood in the life of every human being.
Games to develop the child’s fine motor skills
- Sort toys
To carry out this activity you can select small toys (taking care that the child does not put them in his / her mouth). The idea is that the little one learns to take these toys, without too much trouble, and can also begin to place them in small drawers that you can make yourself with cardboard to place later in their room or in the usual play area. The position of the child’s fingers to grasp these drawers will be in the shape of a pincer , as this is an excellent exercise that will later help him to grip the pencil correctly .
- Threading buttons
There are wooden buttons made especially to develop the fine motor skills of the little ones. In this activity, very Montessori style, the children will have to pass a string through the button holes. You can come up with varied shapes and occurrences in which everyday objects are used and do the same exercise as with buttons, such as threading a shoelace through a shoe or passing any shoelace through a narrow hole, such as using the holes in a dish drainer. . With this exercise, in addition to developing fine motor skills… you will help cultivate patience!
- Figures with fingers on the walls
At night, try to encourage your children’s imagination and creativity by playing shadows . It would be about imitating animal shapes with the fingers and wrist, and reflecting them on the wall with a lamp. Create dogs, deer, rabbits, dragons and any other funny animal. This is a game that feeds the imagination, that helps to create storytelling scenarios and that develops children’s fine motor skills in a very simple and fun way. You can also try, during the day, to use your hands on a wall or on a canvas that you place on it (so as not to stain) and let the children run their imagination with special paint for hands.
- Puppet games with socks
Encourage your children to create puppets out of socks or old felt or fabric. The mouths of the dolls will need the effort of their fingers with pincer movements that will later help them eat, or to simulate some fun tickling during the representation with the puppets, or simply to make them talk. This, in addition, is a game that can be done as a family and that can serve to entertain an entire afternoon.
- Figures with finger paint
For this game you will need cardstock, paper, and finger paint . These paints must be non-toxic so they can be used by young children . Encourage your children to make beautiful works of art with their little fingers and toes.
We hope these games and crafts will help you have fun with your children while helping them develop their fine motor skills!
