What are Fine Motor Skills? PALS Has Insights for Your Child’s Development.
As you are researching “what are fine motor skills,” it’s great that you’re focusing on how to help your child hone these important skills. The development of fine motor skills is needed to tackle everyday tasks like writing with a pencil, grasping a spoon or form, brushing teeth, and buttoning a shirt. They are learned skills, and building up muscles and ligaments is critical. Yet they can be difficult for a baby or toddler, and they need to practice. That’s where a parent or caregiver can make a big difference.
How to Help Your Child Improve Fine Motor Skills
Fine motor skills are foundational to a person’s development. Defined as “having the ability to accomplish functional tasks,” occupational therapists explain it takes strength, dexterity, and coordination to perform them. Fortunately, practice makes perfect. Using simple playtime activities to challenge a child can help build that foundation. There are a few favorite toys you can incorporate into playtime to build those skills.
Give your child playdough to squeeze, squish, and poke, which is a great way to build those small muscles. Use large puzzles with knobs they must grasp and place while also building hand-eye coordination. Using toddler-friendly scissors, paints, and crayons helps your child practice grasping while building muscle while also ensuring they get practice with creativity and self-confidence, too. Be sure to help your child practice the pincer grasp to encourage self-sufficiency with eating. A great way to add this into your day is to give your child Cheerios they can pick up with the thumb and finger. And playing in a sand box builds strength in hands while also experiencing sensory touch. As you ask, “what are fine motor skills,” rest assured these are easy ways to help your child build those important skills.
PALS is Here for You
When you need a preschool, PALS Praise & Leadership Schools will supplement what you’re teaching at home. We’ve built a curriculum using framework from world renowned research that will help your child thrive. We have two convenient campus locations, both which will help your child flourish for a lifetime. Our downtown campus, located at 700 NE Greenleaf in Peoria, is open from 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. And our North Peoria campus, located at 2327 W. Willow Knolls Rd., is open from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Rest assured that our curriculum will help your child excel well into adulthood.
Contact Us
As you look for answers for “what are fine motor skills,” we encourage you to get in touch. Call PALS today at 309-691-4326 or 309-674-2938 to schedule a tour and see how we build skills that encourage a lifetime of success.
