Fine motor skills are the small, precise movements that let us perform everyday tasks like writing, dressing or eating for ourselves. Most people refer to fine motor skills as only movements of the hands, however fine motor precise movements are also found in our eyes and feet. These fine motor movements help us track a ball across our visual field or respond to minor balance instabilities.
Every child is different, and while some neurodivergent children may require additional support to strengthen their fine motor skills, these challenges can also lead to creativity and exploration.
For neurodivergent children, fine motor skills development can vary widely, and they may require different approaches and additional support to master these tasks. Engaging in fun and meaningful activities can help your child develop these essential skills while building confidence and independence. Creating a positive and playful environment can turn skill-building into an enjoyable adventure that nurtures your child's strengths and interests.
What are fine motor skills?
Fine motor skills are the use of small muscles in the hands, fingers, eyes and feet to perform control precision movements. These skills are essential for a variety of everyday activities, like:
- Grasping and Manipulating Objects: Picking up small items, holding toys, and using scissors and kitchen utensils.
- Writing and Drawing: Holding things with their fingertips, like pencils, crayons, and markers, to create letters, shapes, and pictures.
- Self-Care Tasks: Buttoning shirts, tying shoelaces, and brushing teeth.
- Playing with Small Toys: Building with blocks, threading beads, and completing puzzles.
- Leisure Activities: ball skills and balance
Developing fine motor skills is a unique journey for each child. For some neurodivergent children, this process may require ongoing support and may not follow a typical path. These skills are important for performing tasks independently, which can boost confidence and self-esteem, even if assistance is needed along the way.
How Does Neurodiversity Affect Fine Motor Skills
Fine motor skills are essential for everyday tasks, but many neurodivergent children may find developing these skills particularly challenging. Some may experience differences in sensory processing, making it difficult to interpret the sensations needed for precise movements. This can lead to frustration when trying to perform tasks that require fine motor control.
Some neurodivergent children can struggle with muscle tone or coordination, affecting their ability to manipulate small objects. For example, a child with lower muscle tone may struggle to hold a pencil or use scissors effectively. These challenges can sometimes result in a reluctance to engage in activities that promote fine motor development and curb their process.
This pressure of new tasks can create anxiety, making it even harder for these children to practise and improve their skills. When faced with activities that need fine motor coordination, they may feel overwhelmed, leading to avoidance rather than exploration.
This is why, as occupational therapists, we create different tools and activities that are designed to be engaging and stress-free. Our goal is to make skill-building feel like play, allowing children to develop their fine motor movement in a natural and enjoyable way.
The Best Fine Motor Skills Activities for Your Child
Fine motor activities are a great way for your child to develop their skills through sensory play and exploration, making it feel more like fun than work. These activities help strengthen hand coordination skills and dexterity while providing enjoyable and adaptable experiences tailored to your child's interests and abilities. Incorporating these tasks into occupational therapy sessions or their daily routine creates natural opportunities for growth and learning that are pressure-free and engaging.
Fidgets
Fidget tools can be excellent tools for helping children improve their fine motor skills while also providing a calming sensory experience. For example, fidget pop tubes can be stretched, twisted, and squeezed. Encourage your child to manipulate the tubes to create shapes and enjoy the satisfying popping sounds. This activity strengthens their hand muscles with auditory and tactile stimulation.
Your child could also use the bog eyed bugglies fidget, feeling the texture and watching the eyes pop out. This activity helps improve finger strength and coordination while being visually engaging. Your child might create stories about their buggly character or use them as a focus tool during reading or homework time.
Therapy Putty and Playdough
Playing with playdough or therapy putty is a fantastic way to strengthen hand muscles and improve agility. There are lots of different ways to use therapy putty exercises to support fine motor skills, like encouraging your child to roll, squeeze, and shape the putty. You can also add small objects like beads or buttons for them to press into the dough, making the activity more interesting and sensory-rich.
Bead Stringing
Lacing beads onto a piece of string or pipe cleaner can help improve hand-eye coordination and visual motor skills. Start with larger beads and gradually move to smaller ones as your child becomes more skilled. This activity can also be a great way to practise colour recognition and pattern-making.
Cutting with Scissors
Using child-safe scissors to cut paper is an excellent way to develop fine motor precision and scissor skills. If they're not quite ready for scissors yet, you can use the handy scooper from our Fine Motor Tool Set to keep them safe. You can adapt them to scoop and transfer small objects like pom-poms or beads, which helps build the same hand strength and coordination needed for cutting.
Begin with simple straight lines and gradually introduce more complex shapes. Cutting activities can be integrated into art projects, making them both educational and entertaining.
Puzzles and Building Blocks
Puzzles and building blocks are fantastic tools for developing fine motor skills, as they involve precise hand movements and problem-solving. These activities can be challenging and rewarding, offering your child opportunities for creativity and imaginative play.
Adding link 'n' learn links to the mix means your child can connect and disconnect pieces, improving their dexterity while they explore different shapes and structures. As they connect links to make chains and jewellery, they’re also strengthening their hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.
Immersive Storytelling
Using suckers can be a fun and creative way for children to develop their fine motor skills through storytelling. These colourful, tactile tools can represent different characters or props in their imagination. Help your child to create a story featuring the suckers, and as they pick up, arrange, and move the suckers around with their middle finger, pointer finger and thumb, they practise their pincer grasp and improve their finger agility. You can also have them stack the suckers to build scenes, which helps with hand strength and coordination.
Pincer Grasp
To enhance your child’s handwriting and strengthen their pincer grip, try using small pom-poms and tweezers like the ones from our Fine Motor Tools set. Have them pick up the pom-poms and place them on a piece of paper to form letters or shapes. This hands-on activity makes writing practice feel like a game while improving their fine control.
Treasure Hunt Toss
Set up a "treasure chest" (a box or basket) across the room. Hide small objects around the space and have your child search for these items, practising their gross motor skills as they move around. Once they find an object, they'll use their fine motor skills to pick it up. Then, they can toss the item into the treasure chest, combining both skill sets. This activity encourages movement, hand-eye coordination, and precise grasping, all while feeling like an exciting game!
Explore Everyday OT's Fine Motor Tools
Ready to support your child's journey? Everyday OT has you covered. As occupational therapists, we’ve created a range of practical tools that make fine motor skills development engaging and fun. Our products are designed with your child's needs in mind, focusing on building confidence through play.
Explore our motor skills collections and find the perfect tool for your family. Let’s work together to unlock your child’s potential, one small movement at a time.