24 everyday ways to improve fine motor skills.
January is always a slightly bleaker picture than December. The Christmas decorations have come down, the presents have been opened and feel less new. Meanwhile, the bills start coming in. Not many of us have money to spare. Consequently, we start to stare at the cupboards and look for everyday ways to entertain the family.
In addition, we are all spending more time at home than we planned during this pandemic. Popping out to the shops has become popping online to the website.
And we are home learning again. Much as I respect and admire those in my profession who are doing everything they can to support their classes at home, there needs to be some acceptance that a harassed parent or carer trying to work from home and support their child, or children, will not be the same experience as attending school.
Kids will not be doing activities with a (nearly) complete set of school resources. Is it just me or is there always a couple of missing pieces in the set? Or an abundance of plastic 50ps, and not a plastic one penny available school wide? Maths manipulatives such as rods and deines, or plastic coins – have been replaced by a need to scrabble round the house and improvise learning tools from the odd sock draw, that draw you put potentially useful clutter and sticks from your daily gotta get these kids out the house walks.
I hear you!
Enter my guide on how to help your children improve their fine motor skills, using everyday items from around the house and garden.
Improving handwriting is one of my most asked for sessions in my tutoring business. Sometimes it is just a case of overlearning the way a letter is formed. Sometimes a reminder of which part goes below the writing line. Often it is a lack of stamina and strength in the fingers and arm for writing and pen/pencil holding.
The last of these issues is truly a simple thing to help your kids with, that can have a massive impact! In fact, a number of my everyday ways to improve fine motor control are things that you are probably doing already.
For example:
- Let the kids peel their own satsuma/tangerine/orange. They will naturally pinch the peel with their writing fingers and use them to do this – and it helps strengthen this grip.
- It might be painful, or irritatingly slow, to watch – but let the kids do/undo their own buttons. Not only an essential life skill, but another exercise to make those finger muscles strong. And an added bonus will be the relief of a class teacher with one less child struggling to dress/undress for PE.
- Encourage kids to peg clothes onto the washing line. The spring is surprisingly strong and it takes some real dexterity for them to squeeze a peg open to use.
I have 21 more ideas to inspire you and help children improve their fine motor skills in everyday ways right here. They are 100% useful. 100% useable. And above all, completely free.
Have you got any more ideas you can add? Leave a comment below!
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