How to improve fine motor skills. Motor skill development is not limited to younger children. Both older children and adults employ various fine motor activities throughout their daily lives. This means having well-developed fine motor skills is important throughout a person’s lifespan.
As such, it’s helpful to have a basic understanding of the development of fine motor skills and how to strengthen them. So, today, let’s dive into 17 ways to improve fine motor skills in kids and adults.
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17 Fine Motor Skill Activities
The best way to help anyone develop their fine motor skills is to make it enjoyable. Fortunately, there are many fun activities that you can do at home to help strengthen fine motor skills.
Let’s dive in now. Please note that these 17 fine motor activities have universal application for children and adults.
1. Build with Blocks
Building with blocks is an excellent way to develop and strengthen hand eye coordination. The great thing is that blocks come in so many different shapes and sizes.
2. Use a Hole Punch
Kids love playing with a hole puncher and that’s a great thing. Manipulating a hole puncher is a fun physical activity that strengthens fine motor skills.
The shape and movement of a hole punch mimic the motor coordination required for using scissors and writing with a pencil or other writing tool.
3. Play with Glue Sticks
Regardless of age, you can use glue sticks for many activities. Holding a glue stick strengthens grip strength and also introduces children to the concept of different textures.
Hand your child a glue stick, and some colorful scraps of paper. Then have them glue them into the shape of their name. Even better, let them enjoy the creative activity freely.
If your child needs more inspiration, try this paper plate penguin craft.
4. Create with Pipe Cleaners
There are lots of activities you can do with pipe cleaners. Hand your child a colander and some pipe cleaners and let them squish them through the holes.
This fine motor activity requires greater control of the skill of hand-eye coordination. As such, depending on skill levels, kids may need some extra encouragement when first starting.
Another idea is to thread beads on pipe cleaners. Check out this Jumbo Arts and Crafts kit with pipe cleaners, beads, pom-poms, and more!
5. Play with Dot Markers
When my kids were little, we had a blast with dot markers. Dot markers like these are a child’s version of a bingo dauber. Using dot paint is a great way to develop grip strength, wrist muscles, and core muscles to name a few. Check out these shape dot marker printables to use with your child.
6. Bingo, Baby!
Speaking of bingo daubers… who doesn’t LOVE a good game of Bingo? Older adults (and young ones as well) can have a fun night on the town while improving grip strength and other fine motor skills by playing Bingo. Additionally, social connection is essential for overall health in the later years.
Check out this fun human body bingo activity for your younger learners.
7. Play a Musical Instrument
Playing a musical instrument promotes brain development in multiple ways. For example, musicians have higher concentrations of grey matter in the prefrontal cortex. The prefrontal cortex is responsible for developing executive function skills in children such as:
- maintaining attention,
- self-control (inhibition),
- emotional regulation,
- task initiation,
- self-reflection
Additionally, learning to play an instrument strengthens connections between the two hemispheres of the brain which benefits adults and children alike.
Fine Motor Skill Benefits in Music
In regards to fine motor skills, playing the piano or a stringed instrument means motor neurons direct the small muscles of the body to work together. These include the wrists, fingers, arms, eye muscles, and more.
Further, playing an instrument is one of those life skills that support emotional regulation through multiple sensory systems.
8. Play Video Games
Fortunately for gamers, there are great benefits to playing video games. Playing video games helps to improve fine motor skills and evens out the hand dominance “score.”
Specifically, using a video game controller requires the use of both hands, strengthening the non-dominant hand muscles.
Additionally, one 2013 study found evidence of stronger psychomotor control in gamers using a keyboard and desktop.
9. Remote Control Cars
Next time you’re looking for the perfect gift for someone, consider a remote control car. Like using a video game controller, using a remote control car requires the manipulation of the fingers and hands.
Additionally, it’s an excellent way to develop visual-spatial skills that support daily life activities.
What are Visual-Spatial Skills?
Visual-spatial skills are important skills that allow us to perceive where things are in space. They help us understand distances between objects and play an important role in daily life including academic performance.
For example,
- Riding a bike,
- Placing an object on a table,
- Writing,
- Tying shoes,
- Picking up a pencil,
- Catching a ball,
- Driving a vehicle,
- Hanging clothes on a hanger
It’s important to note that those with different support needs may struggle with visual-spatial skills. If you notice your child struggling with certain physical activities, consider private occupational therapy. Check out more about motor skills in child development for more.
10. Play Table Games
Playing board games has so many benefits for both kids and adults alike.
- Problem solving skills,
- Working Memory,
- Strategy,
- Visual-spatial skills,
- Math and reading skills,
Additionally, playing board games encourages fine motor skills when manipulating small game pieces. A game of Sorry or Connect Four helps us develop better control over the hands, fingers, wrists, and core.
To further enhance academic skills, check out these educational board games.
When Losing Makes Game Night Stressful
Many neurodivergent kids (ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, etc.) challenged by poor fine motor skills can find playing games triggering.
This often leads to meltdowns and can create a stressful experience for all.
Learn how to modify family game night in a way that supports the executive function skills of the entire family in My Kid Loses It When He Loses Games.
11. Play Card Games
I want to specifically highlight the benefit of playing card games to improve fine motor skills.
In our home, we often play card games during dinner time. It helps us connect as a family, supports cognitive and academic skills, and is great for fine motor development.
Just last night, we played memory using these gorgeous bird playing cards. (We purchased two sets years ago for this purpose.)
Because playing cards are thin, flipping them over from a tabletop requires tiny movements and finger grip strength. My son had to work hard to manipulate the cards as he flipped them.
Additionally, physically holding playing cards in one hand is not an easy feat. As such, the simple act of learning to hold your “hand” will strengthen your skills. Playing and handling playing cards is an effective and fun way to strengthen those fine motor skills.
Some of our favorite family games include:
- Most versions of Uno,
- Memory using playing cards
- When just starting, use a traditional Memory Game as the cardboard is easier to manage.
- Phase 10
- Match a Pair of Birds
- We’re obsessed with birds. This set is made from sturdy cardboard.
- Set
- Excellent cognitive challenge for adults and kids
12. Build Puzzles
Whether you’re trying to help your child develop their fine motor skills, or you’re an adult, building puzzles is an excellent idea.
The benefits of building puzzles are multi-faceted and include strengthening:
- Eye-hand coordination,
- Cognitive skills,
- Fine motor development,
- and Spatial awareness.
As an adult with ADHD obsessed with strengthening my brain, I’m big on doing puzzles. And I love using puzzles in my ADHD homeschool.
If new to building puzzles, choose puzzles with larger pieces to make the transition less stressful. Then as puzzling becomes easier, modify your selection accordingly.
13. Don’t Forget the Play Dough
Use Play-Doh to improve muscle strength in the hands, wrists, and fingers. Additionally, Play-Doh is a great tool to provide calming proprioceptive sensory input.
Proprioceptive Sensory Seeking
In this quick tutorial, I share some common behaviors that are often rooted in sensory needs. Then, I tell you how to help.
14. Pom Poms (The Crafty Kind)
There are so many Pom Pom crafts out there. But, if you aren’t the craft type, there’s hope.
Use Pom Poms to help your child strengthen their fine motor skills in different ways.
- Using the fingers, drop Pom Poms into an empty water bottle.
- Increase the challenge by using tongs designed for smaller hands
- Transfer Pom Poms from one paper plate (or toy train, car, etc.) to another
Pom Poms are also an excellent form of tactile sensory input as Pom Poms come in many textures. Check out this set of textured Pom Poms on Amazon.
15. Kitchen Skills
When focusing on how to improve fine motor skills, whether for a child or an adult, think about your daily activities.
Start room by room. Or activity by activity.
- Setting the table,
- Emptying the dishwasher,
- Start with the silverware for younger kids or older kids who struggle to take direction from you
- Folding napkins,
- Pouring juice into a cup,
- Putting the top back on the pickle jar,
- Popping the top off the ketchup
Keep these ideas in mind and engage in these activities with intention.
Consider those with neurodevelopmental conditions like dyspraxia (coordination issues). These are often seen in ADHD, Autism, and those with a history of stroke, for example.
It’s important to keep these in mind and teach these skills explicitly and patiently.
16. Rubber bands
While we often think of Play-Doh and blocks when referring to growing children’s fine motor skills, many different materials can do the trick.
Enter in Rubber bands. Rubber bands offer a variety of tension levels to strengthen small muscles in fingers, hands, and wrists.
Place colorful rubber bands on containers of different sizes. Get creative and use water bottles, canned goods, seasoning bottles, toilet paper cylinders, jars, etc. Stock up on rubberbands with this assortment of colors and sizes from Amazon.
17. Knitting
My mother-in-law is an expert knitter and I’ve always praised her gift. Knitting not only improves fine motor skills but also enhances cognitive functioning.
The complexity of stitches requires sharpened dexterity. And as we get older, this is essential. If teaching a child or newbie how to knit, try this Easy-to-Do Knitting Kit for beginners.
What are Fine Motor Skills?
Now that we’ve discussed how to improve fine motor skills, let’s review the basics. Motor skills are movement-based skills that take place as part of a child’s development. Specifically, they’re controlled by the nervous system and are generally categorized into two groups.
- Gross motor skills
- Fine motor skills
Let’s briefly explore each one.
Gross Motor Skills
Gross motor skills involve the larger muscles of the arms, legs, and core. Some common gross motor skills are:
- crawling
- walking,
- running,
- lifting objects
Large gross motor movements that develop in the early years are integral in later fine motor skill development.
Fine Motor Skills
Fine motor skills are small movements of the smaller muscles of the fingers, hands, and wrists. Common examples of fine motor skills include:
- Reaching,
- Touching,
- Pointing,
- Grasping,
- Pulling,
- Pushing,
As hand strength and manual dexterity progresses, more advanced skills unfold. Complex fine motor skills examples include:
- Using a crayon
- Writing with a pencil or pen
- Cutting with scissors
- Using a spoon and fork
- Manipulating small objects
The Complexity of Fine Motor Development
Fine motor skills involve a greater level of complexity because they require the coordination of multiple body systems. To better get the idea, let’s look at a classic child development skill.
Scribbling.
When young children scribble, they often use a pincer grasp with their dominant hand to hold a crayon. Then, they apply pressure to the crayon as they move their hand, fingers, and wrists over the paper.
Scribbling with a crayon requires the integration of the small muscles of the hand AND the tiny muscles of the eyes. This is commonly referred to as hand-eye coordination.
To reiterate. Your ability to see properly is based on fine motor movements of the eye. (Note that struggling readers often lack strength in fine-eye motor movements.)
Learn more about the value of a clutter-free design for ADHD brains.
Related Post:
Occupational Therapy and Fine Motor Skills
Please keep in mind that all children develop at different rates and at different times. If you’re concerned about your child’s fine motor skills or that your child has a fine motor delay, don’t panic. Instead, speak to your doctor about getting an evaluation from a private pediatric occupational therapist.
Occupational therapy is a great way to support your child’s developing motor skills. Additionally, occupational therapy is available for adults and should be considered for anyone struggling with fine motor control.
Recap: How to Improve Fine Motor Skills
In the end, we all develop different skills at different paces. Children and adults. I hope these ideas on how to improve fine motor skills have given you a solid jumping-off point to incorporate into your routine.
And if you’re concerned about your child’s developmental milestones, empower yourself with information. Then take your concerns to your child’s doctor.
So, Friend, do you have any suggestions? In this together.
Up Next:
Motor Skills in Autism: Why Your Child’s Cerebellum Matters
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59 Best Fun & Educational Board Games for Kids 2024
Visual Discrimination and Learning: Less is More
About the Author:
Lindsay is a trauma-informed educator with a Master’s Degree in Teaching. Her mission is to support moms to equip neurodivergent kids (ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, Anxiety) to thrive as exactly who they’ve been created to be. Wait until you hear the story that led to it all…
