We have all seen the hundreds of way to teach fine motor skills, and honestly, some of them become work when you have kids do them over and over again. So being able to sneak in some fun but still boost those skills is a must.
6 Sneaky Ways to Teach Your Kids Fine Motor Skills
Doing Your Hair – This one we stumbled upon with my oldest daughter. She has an obsession with doing my hair, brushing, braiding, bunning and learning how to put in hair ties. My son thinks it’s a game and does my hair as well as his sister. Plus what mom doesn’t like to be pampered a bit? The braiding especially is amazing at fine motor skills. I better my daughter got at braiding the better her
The braiding especially is amazing at fine motor skills. I better my daughter got at braiding the better her handwriting got it was great to see!
Giving Mani-Pedis – Keeping with the pampering mom theme is letting your kids give you a manicure or pedicure. My kids found my neon nail files one day and wanted to know how to use it. They were all so excited, from my 8-year-old son down to my 2-year-old daughter. So I let them take turns filing my nails. I figured why not I don’t do anything with them anyway.
I noticed with the hold ones the attention it took for them to use the nail file right and it hit me how it was helping their fine motor skills. My younger ones had a blast but didn’t quite get it right.
Legos – This one is one we all know, but I want to bring it up anyway. Kids love playing with Legos, and you don’t have to buy the expensive sets. A general 200+ box of Legos will supply all the fun they need! The sets are great of course because they have to follow directions, but they are more for older kids.
If you head to Pinterest and search “Lego Challenge,” a ton of free ideas come up to have your children try out. From making a simple letter to the extravagant things like landmarks. My kids have made everything from zoos to RVs. They have taken part in holiday challenges and more. A good gift idea for Lego lovers is the Lego Ideas Book as it has so many ideas.
Playdough – I don’t know about you but my kids are slightly obsessed with playdough. This is a good thing for their fine motor skills! Molding, shaping, cutting, and twisting are all great skills! You can take it up a step by search Pinterest and find a million and one different ways to use playdough to boost fine motor skills.
Have they make letters, shapes, numbers, or even something one of their older siblings is learning about. When we talked about the solar system I had my younger ones roll out different sized balls and make a solar system one day. They loved feeling included, and it kept them busy!
The Pom Pom Drop Game – This one is a fun one in our house. We have taken the bread crumb containers with the snap lids and painted them the color of the pom poms that we have. Then we dump all the pom pom on the floor and have the younger kids sort them into their color cans one at a time. Then we store them in their cans again until next time. The kids love playing with the pom poms something about soft and fuzzy and bright colors!
Play With Your Food – I know as parents we tell our kids NOT to play with their food but something times it can help them! Making a necklace out of colored fruit loops is one of my kid’s favorites. Sorting out blueberries and grapes into muffin tins it all helps with the fine motor skills!
Danielle, The Frugal Navy Wife
I am a mom to 5 kids, homeschool mom, blogger, social media junkie, Frugalista, Book Worm, and Closet Want-to-be Chef. We are a Roadschool family (homeschooling on the road while traveling fulltime).
I grew up learning ways to save from my mom and grandma. I started my own coupon journey when my first child was born in 2009 and started the blog on 2010 when baby #2 was born to share my tips with everyone who kept asking about how I was getting diapers for $1 a pack!
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Absolutely Appreciate this!!! I’m starting homeschooling this year since I’m not working and I’m MORTIFIED. Reading your tips and ideas gave me the confidence that i much needed so thank you.
I love the fruit loop necklace idea…. My youngest has a really hard time with finger control. This will be perfect. Thanks! Fun and snackable lol. Boys are always hungry.