Fine Motor Skills for Preschoolers

Let’s focus on fine motor skills in this post. Fine motor skills for preschoolers is so much more than just play. It is a great repetitive practice for pre-writing skills, for developing finger dexterity, eye-hand coordination and even for the ability to operate everyday tasks (now and for the rest of their lives). As you can see, having nice handwriting isn’t the only reason to practice fine motor skills regularly and in a variety of ways. Here, you will get many ideas on how to help your preschooler practice fine motor skills in a fun way.

Fine Motor Skills for Preschoolers

My daughter has been practicing her fine motor skills for several years now. Above all activities, she loves “playing” with her giant wooden beads. She will sit on the rug, lacing for long stretches of time. She loves creating necklaces by shape, by color and by numbers. But the most important part is that she is using her fingers to practice her fine motor skills. We also use beautiful giant number and pattern beads to lace the beads in order.

For those preschoolers that are more advanced and are following directions well, some pattern cards for the beads will be perfect for them because they give them the exact order in which the beads go. I highly recommend having a set or two around for your preschooler to use regularly. keep in mind that the bead must be the giant kind, as for them to not pose a choking hazard. Supervision is advised, no matter the bead size, of course.

Beyond the Beads

But beads are not the only way to practice fine motor skills for preschoolers. They can practice fine motor skills with clothespins, with the simplest craft, with Straws and even with Cheerios! Isn’t that great?! Get creative and let your kids have fun while mastering dexterity and coordination. It is so exciting to see them succeed, to love doing all of those fun activities and to watch all of those sweet and accomplished smiles.

If you are still looking for some ideas, here are 100+ more fine motor skills ideas for toddlers. This is a very complete list. It is printable, so you can keep track of the activities you have done and mark the ones you want to do next. Take your pick! These are all so much fun! Your preschoolers will have a ball with them! And don’t forget to take a look at these awesome Free Preschool Printables. They will bring loads of educational fun to your little ones and save your wallet. 🙂

Tanya

Tanya is the owner and writer for the The Natural Homeschool and a homeschooling mom to two children, a son and daughter. She focuses on following their particular learning interests and in building a strong Christian foundation in their hearts.
To cater to their high giftedness, she uses eclectic teaching approach, which complement each other and maximize the fun in learning. Tanya has a degree in elementary education, a minor in French and a Master's degree in school administration. Her training in the Montessori Method is in the ages 3-6. She is happily married to her best friend and enjoys sharing her life and experiences in her blog to provie inspiration and bring new ideas.