Child Development: Fine Motor Skills

 

Developmental Delay

Concerned about atypical development of a toddler or preschool child? 

 

Therapy Options

Baby with teething ring

Thankfully, there are many ways to deal with delays in child development and behaviors.

These include in-home services, outpatient (you take your child to a clinic), inpatient (following injury or surgery) and school based services. Which type of therapy should you choose?

Visit our Therapy Options area to learn more.

Ask a Therapist

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We understand developmental milestones and the challenges of Special Needs children.  We spend a great deal of time with families understanding the inner workings of childhood routines and interactions.  Ask us about your child today!
 
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Contact Information

Mother & Baby 

Find Early Intervention Support contacts in your State.  If you have a question or comment for us, please visit our Contact page.

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Fine Motor Skills for Preschool Children
54-60 Months

 

Most Five Year Olds Can:

  • Cut on a line continuously
  • Copy a cross
  • Copy a square
  • Print some capital letters

Parenting Tips for Fine Motor Skills:

You can help with your child's developmental milestones.  Suggested play to help developing fine motor skills in a child 54 to 60 months of age:

  • Make a family portrait. Encourage your child to draw a picture of the family. When he or she is done, ask them to tell you about the picture.
     
  •  Wrap it up. Give your child a small sturdy box, some newspaper or wrapping paper tape and ribbon. Let your child practice wrapping the box. Later they can wrap a real present for a friend in their very own way.
     
  • Color the sidewalks. Decorate your sidewalks with beautiful chalk drawings. Colorful chalk can be found at any toy store and some supermarkets. Don't forget to remind your child to sign its name!
     
  • Make lacing cards. Using safety scissors, your child can cut out simple pictures of familiar things from magazines and glue the pictures onto the cardboard. With a paper punch, punch several holes around the outside of the picture. Tie a shoestring or heavy piece of yarn through one of the holes. Make sure the other end of the string has tape wrapped around it to make a firm tip. Your child can sew in and out around the edges of the card.
     
  • Make a map. Draw a large square for your child. Ask your child to make a map of its room, showing where the bed, dresser, etc. are located. After making a map of the room, your child can make one of the entire house.

Fine Motor Skills by Age Group

'Fine motor' refers to the development of small muscle movements of the hands. Fine motor skills develop as your child's whole body gains mobility, stability, cognitive, and emotional/social development. Fine motor skills that come to mind are shoe tying, writing, and cutting paper with scissors.

Contact Information

Find Early Intervention Support contacts in your State. If you have a question or comment for us, please visit our Contact page.

Early Intervention Helps with Developmental Delay

For children with Special Needs, intervention in early childhood development means finding specific ways to help a child become as functional as possible.

Learn more on our Parenting Tips page.

 

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