ASK THE NANNY: Fine motor skills activities for preschoolers

By Kristin Hall, Columnist

Dear Nanny Kristin,

Our daycare provider has told us that our three-year-old son is behind with his fine motor skills. What activities can we do at home to help with this?

-Clueless mommy

Kristin says:

Fine motor skills can be tricky as it involves using the muscles in their fingers, hands, and wrists. By finding ways to strengthen these muscles, children have an easier time learning how to control writing utensils (such as a pencil) when they start to learn how to print. Not to worry though – there is still plenty of time to practice.

Together, try these activities below at home with your preschooler. Keep the experiences unpretentious and enjoyable so that he is learning without even realizing it. If an activity is too challenging and he gets frustrated, put it away and try again at a later time. At this age, learning should be fun!

• Tear colorful paper into strips and pieces and glue onto cardboard to make a collage

• Scrunch cellophane

• Use fingers to press birthday candles, beads, or pebbles into playdough

• Use plastic knives to cut playdough or clay

• Weave ribbon or shoelaces in and out of large-spaced plastic netting used for sewing

• Use cookie cutters for pressing into paint and stamping onto paper

• Sort different types of objects such as buttons, sea shells, milk caps, or legos (also makes for a great early math activity!)

• String large beads onto shoelaces or pipe cleaners

• String fruit loops or cheerios onto uncooked spaghetti noodles

• Poke mini marshmallows onto toothpicks and create a sculpture

• Use clothespins to clip on and off of pom-pom balls or cottonballs

• Use kitchen tongs to grab at larger objects

• Poke silk flowers in and out of the holes in a kitchen colander

• Press golf tee’s into the grass or snow

• Manipulate scissors to snip at paper or drinking straws

• Use a variety of writing utensils such as markers, colored pencils, or felt tip pens

• Peel stickers and press onto paper

• Fill the kitchen sink with soapy water and use a whisk to stir and mix the water

• Use magnets on the refrigerator or a cookie sheet

• Fingerpaint with textured paint by adding sand or oatmeal to regular paint

• Paint with Q-tips or small watercolor brushes

• Play board games that involve using fingers to move pieces around such as Memory

• Put together puzzles and a Mr. Potato Head

• Use water squeeze toys, eye droppers, and spray bottles in the bathtub

Enjoy your little one!

Kristin

Kristin Hall is a career nanny of over a decade and a curriculum book author. She specializes in ages zero to five and loves all things kid-related. Have a question? Send her an email at: kristinhall@charlescitypress.com Or, write to her at:

Ask the Nanny…

801 Riverside Drive

Charles City, IA 50616