Tools for Tiny Hands
Fine motor practice for children ages 2 to 5 and their adults
Fine motor skills are needed for everyday life and for success in school. They help children do more things for themselves, like writing with a pencil, zipping your jacket, and using a fork. Your child can develop and practice many fine motor skills through play or by helping in your home.
- Audience
- Caregiver
- Subject
- Fine Motor Skill Development
- Age
- KindergartenPre-KPreschoolToddlerInfant
- Languages
- ArabicBrazilian PortugueseCape VerdeanEnglishFrenchHaitian CreoleRussianSimplified ChineseSpanishVietnamese
Resources in the Tools for Tiny Hands collection
CaregiverActivitySwirl, Mix, and Dot
Painting is creative and can be relaxing for children. It also builds fine motor control and coordination.
CaregiverActivityPeel, Rip, and Stick
Tape and stickers are excellent tools for practicing small movements such as peeling, ripping and sticking.
CaregiverActivityPick It Up
Fingers and tweezers do similar jobs. They both help to pick things up. Using tweezers takes lots of control and hand-eye coordination.
CaregiverActivityStack Them Up, Knock Them Down!
Cups of all shapes and sizes can keep your child busy for longer than you might think. Each of these activities builds coordination and control in your
child’s hand muscles.
CaregiverActivitySqueeze It
Turkey basters and eye droppers are perfect tools for practicing fine motor skills. They are also great for learning to focus and look closely at something.
CaregiverActivityReady, Steady, Cut
Learning to use scissors can be scary for parents and caregivers, but fun and engaging for little ones. Children should build and practice their scissors skills over time.
CaregiverActivityTouch, Point, and Turn
Books get minds and fingers moving. Holding a book, turning a page, pointing to a picture, and tracing a shape with a finger are all good ways of practicing fine motor coordination and control.
CaregiverActivityInfant Tools for Tiny Hands
Fine motor skills are the ability to make small movements with the fingers, hands, and wrists. Babies need lots of time and practice to develop the muscle strength for these skills.
Fine motor exploration!
Fine motor skills are the ability to make small movements with the fingers, hands, and wrists. They are skills that need control and coordination, like writing with a pencil, zipping your jacket, and using a fork. They help children do more things for themselves. And research shows that when children start school with strong fine motor skills,
they are more likely to succeed.
All fine motor skills take time to learn, and it’s important to start when children are young. Your child can develop and practice many fine motor skills through play or by helping in your home. Dressing a doll, building with blocks, and cooking with you are all activities that help. Some fine motor skills are learned best by using special tools, like scissors or a paintbrush.
General Tips
- Tools are not toys! Make sure you supervise your child.
- Many children need time to explore materials before they try an activity.
- Talk with your child as you explore the tools and materials together.
- Learning to use tools takes practice.
- Children learn by doing the same thing over and over.
- Praise your child for working hard.
- Follow your child’s interests.
About this Collection
Fine motor exploration!
Fine motor skills are the ability to make small movements with the fingers, hands, and wrists. They are skills that need control and coordination, like writing with a pencil, zipping your jacket, and using a fork. They help children do more things for themselves. And research shows that when children start school with strong fine motor skills,
they are more likely to succeed.
All fine motor skills take time to learn, and it’s important to start when children are young. Your child can develop and practice many fine motor skills through play or by helping in your home. Dressing a doll, building with blocks, and cooking with you are all activities that help. Some fine motor skills are learned best by using special tools, like scissors or a paintbrush.
General Tips
- Tools are not toys! Make sure you supervise your child.
- Many children need time to explore materials before they try an activity.
- Talk with your child as you explore the tools and materials together.
- Learning to use tools takes practice.
- Children learn by doing the same thing over and over.
- Praise your child for working hard.
- Follow your child’s interests.
Tools for Tiny Hands Collection: 8 items
Resources in the Tools for Tiny Hands collection
CaregiverActivitySwirl, Mix, and Dot
Painting is creative and can be relaxing for children. It also builds fine motor control and coordination.
CaregiverActivityPeel, Rip, and Stick
Tape and stickers are excellent tools for practicing small movements such as peeling, ripping and sticking.
CaregiverActivityPick It Up
Fingers and tweezers do similar jobs. They both help to pick things up. Using tweezers takes lots of control and hand-eye coordination.
CaregiverActivityStack Them Up, Knock Them Down!
Cups of all shapes and sizes can keep your child busy for longer than you might think. Each of these activities builds coordination and control in your
child’s hand muscles.
CaregiverActivitySqueeze It
Turkey basters and eye droppers are perfect tools for practicing fine motor skills. They are also great for learning to focus and look closely at something.
CaregiverActivityReady, Steady, Cut
Learning to use scissors can be scary for parents and caregivers, but fun and engaging for little ones. Children should build and practice their scissors skills over time.
CaregiverActivityTouch, Point, and Turn
Books get minds and fingers moving. Holding a book, turning a page, pointing to a picture, and tracing a shape with a finger are all good ways of practicing fine motor coordination and control.
CaregiverActivityInfant Tools for Tiny Hands
Fine motor skills are the ability to make small movements with the fingers, hands, and wrists. Babies need lots of time and practice to develop the muscle strength for these skills.