Activities to Boost Fine Motor Skills: Fun Motor Skills Activities for Kids

Between ages 3 and 5, children's hands are getting stronger, more coordinated, and more precise. The key to developing fine motor skills at this stage.... PLAY!

Below are engaging, low prep-activities that help strengthen little hands while engaging in fun activities. Think of these activities as workouts for little hands. Just like we need exercise to stay fit, kids need fun exercises to strengthen their hand muscles and coordination.

Here are some reasons why motor skills activities are essential:

• Boost hand-eye coordination

• Improve dexterity and precision

• Support handwriting and drawing skills

• Enhance self-care abilities like dressing and eating

  
  

Ready to get started? Let’s explore some engaging activities that can help children thrive.

Top Motor Skills Activities to Try Today

Here are some of my favorite motor skills activities that you can easily do at home or in therapy sessions:

1. Playdough Sculpting

Squishing, rolling, and pinching playdough is a fantastic way to strengthen those tiny hand muscles. Plus, it’s super fun! Encourage kids to roll snakes and balls, or pinch spikes on a dinosaur. Use plastic or kid safe knives to cut the playdough. Hide small objects inside for kids to find.

2. Bead Stringing

Stringing beads onto a pipe cleaner is a classic fine motor activity. It requires precision and patience, which helps improve hand-eye coordination. Start with larger beads and work down to smaller ones as skills improve.

3. Cutting with Scissors

Cutting paper along lines or shapes is a practical skill that also builds hand strength and control. Use child-safe scissors and start with simple straight lines before moving to curves or zigzags.

4. Spray Bottles

Spray bottles are wonderful strengthening activity for little hands that can keep them busy for a long time. Take it outside to water the plants, set up a toy car wash or an toy animal washing station, add a little color to the water to spray on paper and create art.

5. Sticker Fun

Peeling and placing stickers might seem simple, but it’s a sneaky way to develop pincer grasp and finger strength. Place stickers on body parts, add to drawing, or decorate

6. Tweezers and Tongs Games

Using tweezers or tongs to pick up small objects like pom-poms or beans is a great way to build precision. Resistive tongs require grading the amount of pressure to needed to hold the object. Have your child carry objects from one place to another using tongs. Make sure they are using their fingers and not the palm of their hands to hold and squeeze the tongs.

7. Open and Close Containers

Opening containers is a simple but powerful way to strengthen little hands. Twisting lids, snapping shut boxes, unscrewing jars, and opening chip bag or Ziploc containers all build hand strength, coordination, and wrist stability. If it's too difficult for them, start the process and let them finish it or do it hand over hand. Try filling different containers (spice jars, plastic food containers, pencil cases) with small surprises to make the activity even more exciting!

What are the Big 6 Fine Motor Skills?

You might wonder, what exactly are the key fine motor skills that these activities target? Here’s a quick rundown of the big six:

1. Grasping - Holding objects firmly, like a pencil or toy.

2. In-hand Manipulation - Moving objects within one hand, such as turning a coin.

3. Bilateral Coordination - Using both hands together, like holding paper with one hand and cutting with the other.

4. Hand-Eye Coordination - Coordinating vision with hand movements, essential for tasks like catching a ball or writing.

5. Finger Isolation - Moving one finger independently, important for typing or playing instruments.

6. Dexterity - Skillful and precise hand movements, crucial for detailed tasks like buttoning or tying shoelaces.

   
   

Understanding these skills helps us choose the right activities to support each area. For example, bead stringing improves grasping and hand-eye coordination, while cutting with scissors enhances bilateral coordination and dexterity.

How to Make Fine Motor Activities More Engaging

Let’s be honest—sometimes kids need a little extra motivation to stick with these exercises. Here are some tips to keep the fun flowing:

• Turn it into a game: Playful moments based on a foundation of connection and engagement with your child have the most impact.

• Use themes: If your child loves animals, create animal-shaped playdough or puzzles. Bridge their interests with the fine motor activity to make it playful and fun.

• Incorporate favorite characters: Use stickers or coloring pages featuring beloved cartoon characters.

• Mix sensory elements: Add textures like sandpaper or fabric to make activities more interesting.

  
  

Remember, the goal is to make these activities feel like play, not work. When kids are having fun, they’re more likely to keep practicing and improving.