Scissors Over Swipes
My sister, a kindergarten teacher, brought this article to my attention recently.
Undeveloped fine motor skill and poor dexterity have become more commonplace in the classroom resulting in reduced learning. So what's the Rx?
Dr. Misset's Top 12 Fun Fine Motor Skill Tips & Tricks
* It starts early with more tummy time. Even for babies that seem not to like it, tummy time is crucial not only for neck strengthening but also encourages muscle development in the hands, upper body, back, and shoulders to support proper seated posture and writing later on. Tummy time enhances visual development, reducing eye wandering and promoting eye focus on the object and details immediately in the line of vision. Older children can be encouraged to read or work on puzzles while lying on the floor for the same muscle and vision enhancing effects.
* Drop the iPad (and phone while you are at it), get outside and get messy. I challenge you to think of any other activity that requires the need of a finger swipe. Before a meltdown ensues, have one of the following activities lined up and ready to go.
* Sponge Squeezes and Buried Treasure: These activities are great for toddlers to help with finger dexterity and hand muscle strengthening. Bury toys in a bucket of sand for your child to dig for with their hands. Or set up two separate bowls, one filled with water and the other empty. Give your child a sponge to soak it in one bowl. Then have them squeeze the water out of the sponge into the other bowl.
* Magic Show and Tinkering Tot: To help your child learn to pick up small items like Cheerios using their thumb and forefinger, fill an empty baby-wipe container with thin scarves, and then let them try to pull them out. You can also give your child toys that have dials, switches, and knobs.
* Painting with Pablo & Baking with Julia: Pick a space where your child can get messy - like the yard or garage - put up an easel or give them a thick piece of paper and let the finger painting commence. Using finger paint can strengthen your child’s hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity. Kitchen experiments like a simple flour-based dough strengthen muscles in the hands and fingers. Make a small batch, then let your child work with it at the counter while you make dinner.
* String It Together: Whether you have macaroni, Cheerios, or beads on hand bring it out and have your child make bracelets or necklaces by threading the cereal loops, pasta, or beads onto pipe cleaners or string.
* Dress Up, Dress Down: Practice putting on and off coats and gloves, and packing and unpacking backpacks. Zipping up, buttoning, snapping, and tying shoes all help with dexterity.
* Stack It Up: Stacking blocks effectively and with control encourages hand and wrist stability. For young toddlers, large wooden blocks are easiest to manipulate. Wait to start using interlocking bricks until age 2.
* Color Control: Most kids are able to make a mark with a crayon at around 15 months and start scribbling by age 2. For little hands, big crayons are best - large pieces of chalk are another option. As children age, difficulties with fine motor skills can make it hard to properly grip a pencil. To help tame frustration have your child color with small, broken crayons which encourages your child to hold the crayon correctly—between their thumb and forefinger. Small pieces of chalk and the tiny pencil you picked up from playing mini-golf work well too.
* Go Ahead, Play with Scissors: Under supervision, have your child cut out shapes or characters that interest your child. An array of safety scissors exist for preschoolers, including some designed without metal edges that can cut only paper.
* Go Old School: Play hand games like “The Itsy-Bitsy Spider” to teach your child how to work their hands in tandem. String games are another low-tech activity that can provide hours of fun. Time to re-learn Cat’s Cradle so you can teach your child. String games help improve finger strength and hand-eye coordination.
* It's Simple, Get Outside: Outdoor play gives children the opportunities to explore how their bodies move through space, promotes balance, and gives them time to figure how to handle toys and tools in relation to one another.
Dr. Misset is the only naturopathic physician in Connecticut board certified in naturopathic pediatrics. For years she has practiced as a primary care doctor and holistic health specialist, working routinely with children and families concerned about growth and developmental delays. She maintains a network of incredible local pediatric occupational therapists to refer to as needed for additional developmental support.