What are fine motor skills?
Our fine motor skills are the abilities required to make small, precise movements using the muscles in our fingers, hands and wrists. Fine motor skills typically develop as children grow but are important for people of all ages.
Examples of fine motor skills include:
Writing – Holding and manipulating a pencil or pen to form letters.
Cutting with Scissors – Using scissors to cut shapes and lines.
Buttoning Clothes – Fastening buttons or zippers.
Picking up small objects – Using a “Pincer” grip (thumb and index finger) to pick up small items like beads or coins.
Tying shoelaces – Manipulating laces into knots or bows.
Typing on a keyboard – Using fingers to press keys.
Drawing and Colouring – Using pencils, crayons, or brushes to create detailed images.
Why are these important?
Independence: Fine motor skills allow children to perform self-care tasks like dressing and feeding themselves.
Academic Development: School is a big part of a childs life and motor skills help children in tasks like writing, drawing or using scissors.
Cognitive Growth: Fine motor activities often require problem-solving and planning which help children’s brains to develop.
Activity Ideas to Explore
| Fine Motor Warm Up |  |
| Scissor Skills |  |
| Hand Stengthening |  |
| Threading |  |
| Lacing |  |
| Pincer Grip |  |
| Posting Coins |  |
| Bilateral Integration |  |
Pre-Writing Skills
It is importnat that these foundations are established before progressing to handwriting skills, the above activities all contribute towards progression towards handwriting along with the following activity video clips;