FINE MOTER FUN II -- ACTIVITIES FOR ELEMENTARY-AGE CHILD
Does your elementary-age child have messy handwriting? Do you often hear complaints that his or her hand is getting tired? Are dressing fasteners, like buttons and hooks, a challenge for your child to use?
Try some of the following fun activities to boost fine motor skills! Fine motor skills begin with good shoulder strength. Try these challenges:
- Wall handstands -- With back to a wall, sit on knees and place hands on the floor. Walk feet up the wall while keeping arms straight so head does't touch the floor. Hold for as long as possible! Repeat the exercise a few times each day.
- Plan -- Anyone who enjoys yoga will recognize this one. Lay on the floor stomach down. Prop up elbows then push up on toes. Body should be flat -- like a plank. Push into the floor with elbows so shoulders don't sag. Record time holding plank position. Keep trying to improve the previous time.
Now it's time to strengthen wrists, hands and fingers. Try these activities to build fine motor strength, precision, and speed:
- Game night with tongs or tweezers -- Use tongs or tweezers instead of fingers to move pieces and parts involved in a board game. Most any board game can become a new and fun fine motor challenge.
- Pop beads -- Pop beads have come back into vogue, and they are great for building fine motor strength along with providing hours of entertainment. Standard bracelet and necklace making kits as well as kits that allow building of people, animals, aliens and more are available from various companies. Type "pop beads" into any search engine to find a multitude of possibilities.
- Old school fine motor -- Woodworking, needlepoint, knitting, and cross stitch are excellent activities that require fine motor strength and precision. The repetitive movements build wrist, hand, and finger muscles.
- Wind-up toys -- Look for wind-up toys with small, round knobs for winding. A wide variety of these are available. Some flip, some spin, and some even dance!
- Nuts and bolts -- Go to the local hardware store, and buy nuts and bolts in a variety of sizes. Using only fingers, twist the bolts and nuts together and apart. Race against a friend or beat a personal best time.
- Color by number pictures -- Look for pictures with small spaces for increased fine motor accuracy. Make sure to use a proper pencil grasp during this activity to strengthen the correct muscles.
- ABC races -- Write the lowercase alphabet (in either print or cursive) as neatly as possible. Time how long it takes, then write it again and see if you can beat your time. Record how long this takes, then try again. Keep trying to beat the recorded time.
By making these fun activities and challenges part of your daily routine, your child will be on the right track toward a better pencil grasp and improved writing endurance.
Happy playing and writing!
Toni M. Schulken, MS, OTR/L
