To be able to grip a pencil and move it, your child needs strong control of the fine muscles in their fingers. We can provide lots of opportunities to develop those skills in school and at home.
Playdough
- Squash, roll, & poke: Make balls, worms, or hedgehogs, pushing small sticks in for spikes.
- Hide & seek: Hide small items in dough and have children pull them out.
- Pinch & pinch: Pinch off small bits with thumb and forefinger.
Water Play
- Sponge squeeze: Wring out wet sponges or cloths.
- Spray bottles: Use trigger spray bottles to water plants or spray paint on paper.
Paper Activities
- Crumple & scrunch: Make balls from newspaper or tissue paper.
- Punch & cut: Use hole punches or cut shapes from magazines.
- Paper chains: Link paper clips or cut strips to make chains.
Building & Construction
- Blocks: Build with blocks, Duplo, Lego, or magnetic tiles.
- Pegs: Clip clothes pegs onto the edge of a container.
- Tweezers/Tongs: Pick up pom-poms or small items to transfer them.
Everyday Actions
- Buttoning & Zipping: Practise on clothes or boards.
- Threading: Use large beads or pasta onto string or pipe cleaners.
- Sand/Mud Play: Draw with sticks or dig with hands.
Games & Songs
- Finger games: Play “Tommy Thumb” or “Two Little Dickey Birds”.
- Pop bubble wrap: A satisfying way to practise pinching
Some simple tasks like using tweezers, hole punches, cutting, and even digging in sand can also develop the small muscles needed for fine motor skills.
Click on the link below to watch Hey Duggee with your child as Duggee shows how to earn their drawing badge before starting reception.
The Drawing Badge: Master holding a pencil with Duggee – BBC Tiny Happy People
And click the link below for information on mark making
