Fine motor skills are the coordination of small muscle movements, typically in the fingers. Fine motor skills develop over time and eventually allow your child to complete tasks like writing, drawing, tying shoelaces, or getting dressed.

• Activities, games, and play to support nurture small muscle development

• Putty, play doh, clay

• Beads

• Clothespins

• Sponge play

• Squirt toys

• Ripping paper

• Cutting paper

• Bubble wrap

• Stickers

• Stamps

• Spray bottle

• Coloring with colored pencils, crayons, chalk

• Tracing with stencils

• Finger drawing (for example, shapes, letters, lines) in shaving cream

• Painting with small-size brushes

• Cooking (especially spooning, stirring, scooping, spreading)

• Hammering (tools)

• Blocks and Legos

• Finger movement songs (for example, itsy bitsy spider)

• Pipe cleaners

• Board games: Examples include Lite-Brite, Hungry Hungry Hippo, Operation, Bed Bugs, and Magna Doodle

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