Fine Motor Activities for Kindergarten
Kindergarten can be a scary and exciting time for both parents and children! They have transitioned from the toddler stage of learning all new fun experiences by exploring their home environment. They have also transitioned from the preschool stage to participating in school readiness activities from a preschool classroom or home. Kindergarten now provides the opportunity to learn math, writing, and reading to prepare them for the primary education years in school. Children explore the classroom with sensory play and increase their strength in those small hand muscles with coloring and cutting activities. There are so many fun fine motor activities for kindergarten to include in your lesson planning or free play time at home.
WHY ARE FINE MOTOR ACTIVITIES IMPORTANT FOR KINDERGARTNERS?
With the increased use of technology, society is starting to see a decrease in fine motor skills among our children entering school. Participation in fine motor activities from an early age is necessary for developing finger and hand strength to keep up with peers in the classroom.
In kindergarten, hand-eye coordination (performing activities with the hands with help from the eyes) and building the small muscles of the hand are necessary for all of the practice of writing numbers and letters they will be doing throughout the school year. Bilateral coordination is needed (use of both hands together) to participate in craft activities with scissors, managing fasteners on clothing, opening and closing containers, and feeding themselves during lunch or snack time throughout the school day.
WHAT FINE MOTOR SKILLS DO KINDERGARTNERS NEED?
Kindergarten is the year that students become more independent in their fine motor development. They need the fine motor skill of a functional tripod grasp (holding the thumb to the pad of the pointer and middle fingers) to hold a crayon correctly for coloring or drawing shapes. A functional tripod grasp allows children to grasp a pencil to form numbers or letters of the alphabet with increased legibility. Kindergartners love using classroom materials such as glue, paper clips, rubber bands, and yarn for crafts. Good finger strength is required to manage these materials during those activities.
Some children come to kindergarten not having picked up a pair of scissors due to safety concerns. Using scissors to accurately cut different shapes from paper is required during cutting tasks. Good hand strength opens and closes the scissors when cutting shapes. Bilateral hand coordination manipulates the scissors with one hand and turns the paper with the other hand. Cutting different thicknesses of paper and craft materials is part of the fun throughout the school day!
Scissor Skills Printable Worksheets
In Kindergarten, children have to learn how to form numbers and letters on paper correctly; otherwise, bad habits can make it difficult to correct. During the school year, children learn to write letters of their first and last names to label their papers and crafts. Better handwriting can lead to increased success in other areas such as reading and academics as children progress through elementary school.
Self-care activities require fine motor skills in the classroom for independence throughout the school day. A pincer grasp (holding the pads of the thumb to the pointer finger) helps with fastening buttons, snaps, and velcro on their clothing. Children use pinch strength and pincer grasps for managing a zipper on a pair of pants during bathroom breaks or a coat at the beginning and end of the school day. Shoe tying relies on the fingers to tie the laces securely so the shoes do not become untied in the classroom.
HOW TO INCORPORATE FINE MOTOR ACTIVITIES FOR KINDERGARTEN AT SCHOOL
As children enter kindergarten at school, sometimes those who transitioned from home demonstrate a decrease in fine motor skills with the increasing use of technology at home and busy family lifestyles. Even if children are enrolled in a preschool program, it is sometimes difficult to address fine motor deficits due to increased demands in academics and the increasing enrollment at schools.
Schools must give as many fine motor opportunities in the classroom to increase success throughout the school year. The following is a list of various fine motor activities for kindergarten classes at school that can be placed in bins or baskets for fine motor activity stations:
- draw or write with short/broken crayons or pencils
- hold a crayon down flat to color
- use play-doh on a mat to form numbers or letters of the alphabet
- crumble with mini tissue paper using the thumb, index, and middle finger
- punch holes with a hole puncher on shapes made of cardstock
- laminate cardstock shapes and use as lacing cards with yarn or string
- attach clothespins to paper plates labeled with letters of the alphabet or fun pictures
- make a face and slit for mouth into a tennis ball and feed it bingo chips
Below are two fun, free printable activities to participate in as a Kindergarten class! Both work on fine motor skills and building finger strength incorporating coloring and cutting skills!
HOW TO ENCOURAGE FINE MOTOR ACTIVITIES FOR KINDERGARTNERS AT HOME
Practice at home is just vital as practice at school. What can be more exciting to a kindergartner than one-on-one time with their loved one and showing them what they learned at school? The following is a list of various fine motor activities for kindergartners to do that are great for fine motor practice at home:
- cut sponges into strips with scissors and use as building blocks
- cut playdough and form numbers or letters of the alphabet
- use dot markers to form the letters of the alphabet on paper
- q-tip painting in a coloring book
- place coins in money boxes
- squirt water toys or use a spray bottle to wash off sidewalk chalk from the driveway
- peel stickers on or off a book or cover a piece of paper
- use eye droppers for squeezing water or liquid into an ice cube tray
- use tweezers or kitchen tongs to pick up everyday items into and out of a bowl (i.e. pom poms, small toys, noodles)
Below are two activities that are fun to participate in at home. These are great because you can use resources from home instead of purchasing items!
Fine motor skills are important for success throughout school. These skills help kindergartners with activities such as holding a pencil, writing and cutting with scissors. There are many different ways to incorporate fine motor activities for kindergartners into the classroom and at home. Some activities that help develop fine motor skills include using manipulative toys, play dough, lacing boards, and simple puzzles. Incorporating fine motor skills into daily activities is a great way to help kindergartners develop the important skills they need for success in school. Fine motor skills are an important part of a child’s development and should be encouraged from an early age.
Read more about Fine Motor Skills and Activities here.
ARTICLE WRITTEN BY:
Kimberly Orlando, MOTR/L
Kimberly Orlando received her Master of Occupational Therapy from Chatham University in Pittsburgh, PA in 2001, and received her Level 1 Handwriting Specialist Certification through Handwriting Without Tears in 2012 in the areas of Pre-K Readiness, Printing, Cursive, and The Print Tool Evaluation. With 21 total years of experience as an Occupational Therapist, she has 6 years of experience providing services in hospital and home health care settings and 15 years of experience in early intervention and school settings (Pre-K through middle school levels). Kimberly also has experience tutoring children with fine motor and handwriting concerns.
