🖐️

Fine Motor Activities for Preschoolers: 30 Ideas Using Things at Home

By Sadia Afrin, Early Childhood Educator · 6 min read

Strong little fingers come from play. Here are 30 fine motor ideas that use things you already have at home.

Fine motor skills are the small movements of the fingers, hands and wrists. They help children hold a pencil, use scissors, do up buttons and eventually write. They grow through play, and you do not need special equipment.

Squeezing, pinching and pulling

Play with playdough.
Roll playdough snakes.
Pinch clothes pegs onto a plate.
Thread large beads onto a string.
Thread pasta tubes onto wool.
Tear paper into strips.
Scrunch paper into balls.
Cut paper with child-safe scissors.
Stick stickers onto a page.
Use tweezers to pick up small objects.

Picking up and pouring

Pick up pom-poms with tongs.
Squeeze a sponge in water.
Fill and squeeze a baster at the sink.
Paint with a brush.
Finger paint.
Draw in sand.
Draw in shaving foam.
Pour water between cups.
Scoop rice or beans with a spoon.
Do a simple puzzle.

Building and everyday tasks

Build with blocks.
Lace a punched card.
Open and close lids on containers.
Peel stickers off a sheet.
Hang washing with pegs.
Colour a picture.
Trace a line.
Zip and unzip a bag.
Do up buttons on a shirt.
Make a collage with scraps.

Keep it fun

Pick two or three ideas a day. Let your child choose. If something is frustrating, make it easier or put it away. The free chart turns the ideas into a challenge with stars to colour.

A note on development

Children develop fine motor skills at different rates. If you are worried about your child's hand skills, chat with your GP or an occupational therapist.