How to Build Fine Motor Skills at Home

While screens can provide many early learning opportunities, many teachers are noticing that students are coming in with decreased fine motor skills. This can make writing, coloring and cutting very difficult in the early grades because their hand muscles are not strong. Here are some ways to help your child improve these skills at home:

1. Puzzles. Have your child put together puzzle pieces. As they improve, provide them with smaller pieces. 
2. Help Around the House. Have your child do small chores such as set the table, pour liquid into a cup, open and close containers, put their toys away, use velcro and pick up small things off the floor. 
3. Stickers. Manipulating stickers can help build hand muscles. Sticker by number books can be great for this. 
4. Make Bracelets. Stringing objects such as beads, pasta or Cheerios can help build fine motor skills. 
5. Put Coins in a Bank. Picking up coins strengthens the pincer grip which will eventually help them hold their pencil or crayon. 
6. Sidewalk Chalk. Sidewalk chalk is an inexpensive way to help your child build fine motor skills. 
7. Picking Objects up with Tweezers. A fun game can involve placing small objects in a tub and letting your child pick them up with tweezers and place them in another tub. This can also be used to sort objects which can incorporate math skills. 
8. Coloring. Coloring is one of the best ways for children to build their hand muscles. It can be on plain paper, a coloring book or even on a roll of coloring paper. 
9. Cutting. Cutting is a skill that can be taught at home before students head to school. Allow your child to use kid scissors and plain paper to cut up as they please. 
10. Play. Play. Play. Playing with toys as much as possible helps children grow in many ways.