Although there are charts that show the rate at which a child develops, the truth is that children develop at different rates. You shouldn’t panic if they aren’t as advanced as other children in their child care facility. Of course, you need to monitor their progress to help ensure they are continuing to develop.
You can also help them by boosting their hand strength and fine motor skills.
Understanding Fine Motor Skills
This is the general term to cover movements that include hands, wrists, and fingers. These are the everyday skills that people need to hold pencils, use smartphones, and even tie shoelaces.
Children’s hands will naturally get stronger as they evolve and learn to do more things. But, you can help them strengthen their hands and improve their fine motor skills. This will help them to develop faster and can boost their self-confidence. That can make a big difference to success later in life.
1. Get Out the Playdough
Playdough is great fun. You can make it into a ball, roll it out, make shapes, or even create a whole scene. Your child will probably love playing with it and simply see it as a game. But, while they are playing and bonding with you, they will also be strengthening their hands, wrists, and fingers.
2. Play With Water
Children generally love splashing in water, simply hitting it with their hand is fun! You can use this and give them a sponge. Show them how it absorbs the water and then you can squeeze it out. They will copy you and this will improve their fine motor skills. You can even talk to them about the weight of something and how water increases its weight. Just remember, you’re likely to get a little wet when doing this!
3. Painting
What’s not to like about painting? Your child will need a piece of paper and a brush or two. It doesn’t matter what they paint, as long as they are holding the brush and moving it around they will be improving fine motor skills.
Alongside this, they can practice coordination by putting the brush in and out of the paint pot.
4. Writing
Very young children won’t be ready to write but they may surprise you! After all, they do love to copy. All you need is paper and a pencil or even chalk and a board. Draw a letter or number and get them to copy you.
It doesn’t actually matter if they manage to copy your letter, trying is enough to activate their fine motor skills and help them develop.
5. Use Toys
There are a variety of toys on the market, such as putting the right shape through a hole, that will help your child grip things and improve their coordination at the same time.
Just make sure your child has to put something small through a matching hole and you’ll see their fine motor skills improving.