By Claire Heffron
These fine motor activities for toddlers are the perfect way to strengthen fine motor skills, getting little hands and fingers ready forlater-developing skills like holding a pencil and completing clothing fasteners.
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We’ve already talked about how toddlers love to move and explore. Kids this age are learning so much about the world and a big part of this involves fine motor skills: being able to grasp and manipulate the objects that interest them.
Simply showing an objectto a 1 or 2-year-old isn’t enough. They want to hold it and see it for themselves. From toys, to remote controls, to your cell phone – it’s all fair game to a toddler! This means that a hands-on approach to play is in order, which is perfect for developingthose early fine motor skills.
Fine Motor Activities for Toddlers
1 ||Building with blocks. See if they can stack a couple blocks on their own, or try stacking up a tower for them and let them knock it down! Help your little one roll a ball to knock down a big tower of blocks!
2 ||Simple “put-in” activities like these from No One Has More Fun Than the Adams’ are perfect for keeping little ones entertained while also building grasping, manipulation, and visual motor skills. Also try shape sorters
!
3 || Opening and closing. Toddlers are fascinated by opening and closing things. Try this fun opening and closing activity from How We Montessori. Stock your bookshelves with books that have flaps to open and close or try a hide and seek puzzle!
4 || Cooking with a toddler can be lots of fun (and a little tricky!). Your best bet? Keep it simple! Try a toddler-friendly recipe like this one from Danya Banya – only 2 ingredients! Encourage your kiddo to get in on the action by scooping, stirring, and kneading the ingredients together. Not in the mood for a mess? Simply set out a bowl of water and some cooking utensils!
5 || Play withthings around the house Fine motor play doesn’t have to involve fancy, expensive materials either – check out this awesome fine motor play activity made out of recycled materials from Teach Me Mommy! There is some great gross motor work going on here too, as the child bends, squats, and stands to make this activity work!
6 || Coloring Try this genius coloring activity for toddlers from Berry Sweet Baby or create a scribbled work of art to give to a loved one (from Solis Plus One).
7 ||Stringing large beads or other items is awesome for working on bilateral coordination (using two hands together) and in-hand manipulation skills. This pasta threading fine motor activity from Laughing Kids Learn uses the perfect chunky material for little toddler hands.
8 ||Play with stickers! This toddler favorite holds infinite possibilities when it comes to fine motor, visual motor, and even gross motor activities!
9 || Painting Try painting with q-tips like Mess for Less or create a masterpiece using cotton balls like Teach Preschool!
10 || Put your toddler to work! There are lots of fun ways for older toddlersto help out around the house that are great for building fine motor skills (not to mention gross motor, cognitive, and sensory skills!). Check out these practical chores for young toddlers from ALLterNATIVE Learning.
11 || Water play. Try throwing a few squirt bottles
,sponges, and washcloths into a bucket of water and you’ve got hours of fine motor fun and entertainment!
12 ||Finger puppets
. These are great fun and are awesome for promoting finger isolation!
Click here to learn more about toddler development and milestones!
Looking for more fun activities for your toddler? Check out these sensory activities for toddlers and gross motor activities for toddlers!
Learn all about developmental milestonesand activities for kids to boost development from birth to age 5.
Don’t miss our free checklist for 12, 15, and 18 month old milestones red flags!
*As with all of our activities at The Inspired Treehouse – be sure to pay close attention when your child is working on any activities that involve small pieces. These activities require close supervision.
Be sure to grab your copy of The Hand Strengthening Handbook! More than 100 fun and engaging hand strengthening activities for kids!
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Claire Heffron
Claire Heffron is co-author at The Inspired Treehouse and a pediatric occupational therapist in a preschool/primary school setting. She began her career with a bachelor's degree in magazine journalism but quickly changed course to pursue graduate studies in occupational therapy. She has been practicing therapy for 10 years in public and specialized preschool/primary school settings. She is a mom to three funny, noisy boys and relies on yoga, good food, and time outside to bring her back to center.
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Fine Motor Activities for Toddlers
Fine motor skills are essential for toddlers as they prepare them for later-developing skills like holding a pencil and completing clothing fasteners. In the article you mentioned, Claire Heffron discusses several fine motor activities that can help strengthen these skills in toddlers. Let's go through each concept used in the article:
1. Grasping and Manipulation: Toddlers at this age are learning about the world around them, and one way they do this is by grasping and manipulating objects. They want to hold and explore things for themselves. This hands-on approach to play helps develop their fine motor skills.
2. Stacking and Building: Building with blocks is a great activity to enhance fine motor skills. Toddlers can try stacking blocks on their own or have someone stack a tower for them to knock down. This activity helps them develop hand-eye coordination and finger dexterity.
3. Put-In Activities: "Put-in" activities involve tasks where toddlers have to place objects into specific slots or containers. These activities help build grasping, manipulation, and visual motor skills. Shape sorters and similar toys are perfect for these activities.
4. Opening and Closing: Toddlers are fascinated by opening and closing things. Activities like opening and closing flaps in books or solving hide and seek puzzles can help develop their fine motor skills.
5. Cooking and Sensory Play: Cooking with toddlers can be a fun and engaging activity. Simple recipes with few ingredients allow them to scoop, stir, and knead, which helps develop their hand coordination and finger strength. Additionally, playing with water and utensils can also be beneficial for fine motor development.
6. Fine Motor Play with Recycled Materials: Fine motor play doesn't have to involve expensive materials. Using recycled materials, such as bottles and containers, can provide opportunities for fine motor work while also promoting gross motor skills like bending, squatting, and standing.
7. Coloring and Art: Coloring activities using crayons or markers can help toddlers refine their fine motor skills. Activities like scribbling and creating artwork with different materials can promote creativity and fine motor development.
8. Stringing and Threading: Stringing large beads or other items helps with bilateral coordination and in-hand manipulation skills. Threading pasta or other chunky materials is a great way to engage toddlers in this activity.
9. Sticker Play: Playing with stickers offers various fine motor activities. Peeling stickers, placing them on surfaces, and removing them require hand-eye coordination, finger dexterity, and fine motor control.
10. Painting: Painting with different tools, such as q-tips or cotton balls, can enhance fine motor skills. These activities allow toddlers to explore different textures and develop their hand control and coordination.
11. Chores and Practical Activities: Involving toddlers in age-appropriate household chores can be a fun way to develop fine motor skills. Activities like sorting objects, pouring water, or arranging items can help enhance their hand-eye coordination and finger control.
12. Water Play: Water play with squirt bottles, sponges, and washcloths provides opportunities for fine motor fun and entertainment. Squeezing bottles, wringing out sponges, and manipulating wet objects can help develop fine motor skills.
13. Finger Puppets: Finger puppets are not only fun but also promote finger isolation, which is crucial for fine motor control.
These activities mentioned in the article can help toddlers develop and strengthen their fine motor skills in a fun and engaging way. It's important to provide supervision and choose age-appropriate activities to ensure the safety and enjoyment of the child.
