Have you ever seen your child struggle to perform simple tasks that use fine motor skills? They become frustrated when they can’t complete these tasks. For example, a child may not be able to pull on a pair of pants easily and they become upset because they feel it’s too difficult. It is tempting for us to jump in and do it for them, but it is important to help them in the right way so that we do not hinder their growth. Children acquire confidence and self-esteem as a result of achieving successful experiences in motor development.
Fine motor skills involve the use of the small muscles that control the hand, fingers and thumb. They are a central part of our lives. Even as adults, we’re constantly picking things up, typing on keyboards, manipulating objects and more. Children start developing their fine motor skills from infancy and this continues into their preschool years and beyond. By the time they turn 9 months, babies should already begin exploring with their hands such as squeezing food wedges in their little fists. When they reach their first birthday, they will be doing a lot more clapping, pointing and picking up or dropping toys. Every child develops differently and their developmental milestones should give you an idea of where your child is at. If their motor skills are not refined as they grow, this can affect their ability to do a range of tasks like writing, eating, turning pages and even personal care.
When children enter preschool, their daily activities will involve coordinated efforts between their eyes, fingers and hands such as eating meals, writing and colouring, art & craft and even sensory discovery. With every exciting and successful encounter they overcome, they grow into brave and confident individuals. But their development should not stop in school; enjoy more bonding time together as you do these fine motor activities with your child at home. You don’t need fancy or expensive toys to help them – you can draw and paint together, do scrapbooking, building with blocks or even self-care tasks like dressing and buttoning clothes.
At GUG, we have 3 favourite skills that we love to get our students to regularly practise and perform. They’re simple but they build up to more advanced skills later on.
- Scissor Skills
- This is a superb way for developing hand-eye coordination. Cutting inspires the independent movements of each finger and strengthens hand muscles. Children need to learn bilateral coordination because they have to hold the scissors in one hand and paper in the other. It also improves their attention when they need to focus on cutting out shapes or cutting along a line.
- Pencil Skills
- From drawing and writing, to scribbling and colouring, this is one of the most commonly practised skills. It isn’t about making sure that your child can hold a pencil upright and write perfectly. It’s for developing pre-writing skills by doing activities that develop their little finger muscles. They will learn to skilfully manipulate objects with their hands and have strong and controlled use of everyday items such as holding a toothbrush or a hairbrush. Once we know the child’s hand dominance, that’s where we start to refine their precision performance.
- Construction Skills
- This is one of the most popular forms of play our kids love – playing with lego blocks, puzzles and manipulatives. They need to learn to push, pull and twist different items as they play. These skills promote hand and finger strength and build muscle power for more controlled movements.
Remember – when carrying out the activities at home, try and keep your focus on the process. Don’t be worried about your child being too young to hold a pair of scissors and don’t restrict them (or yourselves!) to just cutting strips of paper. Kids actually pick up cutting skills very quickly when you offer them the opportunity. Letting them cut different materials such as play-dough, ribbons, leaves and straws will also build up their muscle and strength. You don’t have to worry about whether your child is cutting the right way. Kids will catch on. Just ensure that their scissors have rounded and not sharp ends, and then every once in a while, make sure that the scissors is pointing in the right direction and their thumb is upright.
Through this process, our children learn many wonderful skills that prepare them for life, like confidence and independence. These skills help kids take on challenges and feel empowered to persevere. The more children have the “can-do” mindset, the more they grow in confidence and courage.
Young children need experiential learning that engages them in exciting discovery and ignite their imagination. By nature, children are curious about their surroundings and what they can or cannot do. Here at GUG Preschool, our teaching team is trained to deliver our curriculum consisting of well-planned lessons and activities that ensure our children meet their developmental milestones from 1.5 to 6 years old. We give them the tools they need to learn, to grow and to discover their potential. And when they face challenges, we give them the motivation and support they need to not give up. Building fine motor skills might seem like a small aspect but it goes a long way in a child’s physical and cognitive development. Speak to our team and find out more about the different activities we provide and how we can be a part of your child’s journey.
