Examples of activities requiring manual dexterity

SKILLED SIDE OF THE HANDВ is considered to be the thumb, index and middle fingers as they work together for activities that require precision. Keep hands firm, wrists extended so that neither Row, row, row your boat: Have child seated on floor, facing you.On the chair and push down on his hands so as to lift himself slightly of the chair. Chair push-ups: While seated on a chair, have the child place his hands by his side.Animal walks: Practice different walks such as a bear walk, a crab walk, etc, so thatДЄ large part of the childвЂ™s body weight is on his hands as he moves.Wheelbarrow Walking: The child walks on his hands, with adult supporting the.Toes, and ankles should be touching at all times. His body weight should be on his open palms and on his tip Start with both feet to one side and вЂњkickвЂќ up and Donkey Kicks: Have the child place his hands on a mat directly below his shoulders.Etch-a-Sketch and Magna Doodle should be turned upside down so the knobs are on the top. Position fine motor activities like peg boards, Lite Brite, ink stamping, geo-boards on a floor easel or on a tabletop easel.This can be achieved by book holders on a table, table top easels, regular floor easels, chalkboards, magnetic white-boards on the refrigerator, or taping large paper to a wall for drawing and coloring activities. Vertical or near vertical work surfaces, above eye level, should be used for the preschooler and kindergartner as much as possible to facilitate wrist extension.The child should place his/her wrist firmly on the writing surface and not hold it up off the table. A flexed (bent down) wrist posture should be discouraged during fine motor activities, especially during writing/drawing. The wrist joint should be slightly extended (bent back) for the fingers to be able to move with precision, strength and control. WRIST STABILITYВ is the ability to stabilize the wrist while using the fingers, and develops progressively from about 8 months of age into the early school years. Using eye droppers to вЂњpick upвЂќ colored water for color mixing or to make artistic designs on paper.Shaking dice by cupping the hands together.Use to stuff scarecrow or other art creation. Tearing newspaper into strips and then crumpling them into balls.Picking out small objects embedded in the playdoh, such as beans, macaroni etc.Using pegs or toothpicks to make designs in a flattened piece of playdoh.Rolling into pea sized balls using only the finger tips.Molding and rolling playdoh into balls using the palms of both the hands.Playdoh and silly putty can be used in many ways to develop hand arches. Toys that involve squeezing, pinching, putting small objects together and pulling them apart, are all examples of activities that will strengthen the palmar arches. Palmar arches allow for the cupping action of the hand to hold objects such as a pencil, or do manipulative activities like string beads and build with blocks.

PALMAR ARCHESВ provide the hand with mobility and form a support surface for the fingers to move with isolated control. The following section describes some of the different aspects, components and skills which are considered to be part of fine motor function. We recommend at least 15 to 30 fun minutes of fine motor activities daily to improve hand skill development in children ages 2 to 6 years. They are also an integral part of everyday functional tasks such as dressing, using utensils and tools, playing musical These skills are important for a childвЂ™s success with school-based activities, such as writing and manipulating classroom materials. ACTIVITIES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF FINE MOTOR SKILLS IN YOUNG CHILDRENДЇINE MOTOR SKILLSВ refer to the ability to use the small muscles of the hand, with adequate strength, dexterity and coordination, to grasp and manipulate objects of different sizes, weights and shapes.

Examples of activities requiring manual dexterity