Games to Help Develop Fine Motor Skills

Here are some fun ways to help your child strengthen their hand and wrist muscles and develop their fine motor skills. 

Play-Doh

Whether you make your own or buy a remade version from the store playing with playing with play doh is a great tool to help develop fine motor skills. Squeezing and stretching helps strengthen finger muscles. You can have fun with the play doh and try different projects, a fun one is play doh cupcakes. Have the kids decorate with small toys and poke with unlit candles. 

Finger Paint

Painting with finger paint is another great way to strengthen finger muscles, for the older kids have them try to stay within the lines of a large picture. 

Mini Pencils or Broken Crayons

With larger crayons and markers kids can hold with their whole hand, those mini pencils or even broken crayons encourage them to hold it correctly. 

Sponges in a Bucket

Put a sponge and water in one bucket and have your child use the sponge to transfer the water to another bucket, get way to build hand strength. 

Pasta Necklaces

Have them string uncooked pasta on a piece of yarn. 

Pipe Cleaners in Colander

Find a colander with small holes, if you don't have one at home check the local dollar store, and have your child make creations with pipe cleaners. Have them stick one end of the pipe cleaner in and then bend to reach another hole to stick it in.