Have you noticed your 2-year-olds picking up their spoon and trying to eat their food from it? They may spill some on their bibs and smear some on their faces. These are signs that your little one is growing and trying to eat independently. These small hand movements involving small hand muscles are also known as Fine motor skills. Toddler years are a time of physical development in children. These years are when your child is developing fine motor skills. These skills include movements like picking things up with fingers, doing puzzles, using tools, stacking blocks, holding crayons, or drawing.
Here are three fun activities you could do at home to foster your child’s fine motor skills:
1. Playdough
You can give your child playdough or wheat flour dough. Allow them to be messy with it, especially if you have got edible playdough. Encourage your toddlers to create their own models by making a few yourself. You can create figures and name them. You can go on to tell a story about them to catch your toddler’s imagination. You can also make numbers out of the playdough along with your toddler.
2. Sorting it out
Get 4-5 bowls and fill them each with different color grains and pulses for this activity. Empty the bowls and ask your child to fill the bowl with pulses of a particular color. Add fun by challenging them to do so in an agreed span of time. This activity will not only foster fine motor skills but will also help your toddler learn about color concepts through a multisensory approach.
3. Cups and spoons
It’s a simple and effective activity where your child can use a spoon to fill a cup. This fun-filled game can be played in different ways depending on the age of your child. Start with a one minute game. Once your toddler tries it and does well, change the size of the spoon and cup. This will help in improving your toddler’s hand-eye coordination.
Try these easy and effective activities, and your toddler will progress swiftly in their fine motor skills. Preschool years are the early learning years and you can make each day playful and full of learning for your little one. Read on to know how you can prepare your kid for preschool.