Fine Motor Skills through Play

Fine motor skills development in pediatrics is a crucial aspect of a child’s overall growth. Fine motor skills are honed through play as children engage in a wide range of activities that involve intricate hand and finger movements. Through play, children have the opportunity to refine their fine motor skills, which involve coordination and dexterity. Engaging in activities such as building with small blocks, threading beads onto a string, cutting with scissors, and drawing or coloring not only encourages creativity and imagination but also fosters the development of precise hand movements and hand-eye coordination.

These playful experiences provide children with the chance to strengthen their ability to grasp, manipulate, and control objects, laying a solid foundation for tasks that require intricate hand movements, such as writing, drawing, and performing everyday activities independently. But, how do I know what my kid should be able to do?

Fine Motor Skills by Age

Age Range	Activities
0 to 6 months	– Grasping something with both hands (3 months) – Grasping something with one full hand (5 months)
6 to 12 months	– Pinching things with their thumb and one other finger – Transferring objects from one hand to the other – Picking up and dropping toys and putting them in their mouth
1 to 2 years	– Stacking three small blocks – Turning knobs – Beginning self-feeding with utensils – Turning a few pages of a book at a time
2 to 3 years	– Turning single pages of a book – Holding a crayon with their thumb and first two fingers (not a fist) – Making small cuts with scissors – Rolling, squeezing, and pulling putty
3 to 4 years	– Stacking a tower of nine small blocks – Drawing copies of circles – Using their non-dominant hand to assist and stabilize objects while using them
4 to 5 years	– Cutting continuously with scissors on a line – Printing their name and numbers 1 through 5 – Dressing and undressing without help
5 to 6 years	– Cutting out simple shapes with scissors – Coloring within the lines – Using a three-fingered grasp of a pencil
6 to 7 years	– Tying shoelaces by themselves – Writing consistently on lines – Writing most numbers and letters correctly

Despite being aware of what activities to do, children may still be struggling to meet these milestones. An occupational therapist can further assess and develop a plan to address fine motor skills for children to be successful in their everyday lives. Check out MomLovesBest for more information regarding fine motor skills and various activities to explore.