Hone Your Kid's Fine Motor Skills: 7 Hands-On Tips

Improving your child's pencil grip is important for writing. Try these fun activities: Mold and roll play dough, tear a newspaper, spray plants, string beads, and use finger puppets.

Practice safely using and holding scissors with your child. Cut through junk mail. Snip a stack of straws. Carve through play dough.

Strengthening sensory awareness is important for your child's growth. Play interactive clapping games. Sift through wet sand or goop. Pick out small objects like coins or beads.

Building muscle equally on both sides of the body is important to your child's physical development. To work on developing both the right and left side: Play Simon Says. Encourage him to reach for objects with each hand to grab objects. Play tag with his dominant hand behind his back.

Increasing your child's body stability is important for moving around. Do wheelbarrow walking, crab walking, wall push-ups, and the monkey bars.

Refine your child's small motor skills by doing activities that exercise the wrist. Paint on an easel. Work on a chalkboard. Trace around stencils.

Encourage your child's eyes and hands to work together. Throw bean bags into hula hoops. Play throw and catch. Knock down bowling pins with a ball.