Occupational Therapy

  • Fine Motor skills are small movements of the hands that are used for every day tasks. Children use fine motor skills for eating and dressing.  In the school setting, fine motor skills are used for activities such as writing, drawing, coloring, cutting, gluing, and opening a locker door.  Delays in fine motor skills can impact all facets of a child's daily life.

    Suggested Activities for Fine Motor Development:

    The small muscles of the hand are involved in fine motor skills. These muscles require exercise and practice.  Providing toys and games that work these muscles will help prepare children for fine motor tasks required at school.  Push-button or battery-operated toys, and passive entertainment do not readily exercise the hands.

    Some examples of toys that facilitate Fine Motor development are:

      • Lite Brite
      • Spinning Tops
      • Marbles
      • Jacks
      • Tongs (including small kitchen tongs, toaster tongs, strawberry hullers, & tweezers)
      • Clothespins
      • Stringing Beads
      • Play Doh
      • Nuts and Bolts
      • Stamps and Stamp pad
      • Magnadoodle and/or Aquadoodle
      • Wind-up Toys
      • Drawing and Coloring
      • Cutting (straws, index cards, paper)
      • Legos or other snap together toys