I’ve always been obsessed with sensory toys. In fact, I had a whole shelf dedicated to them in my playroom when my son was a toddler.
I loved that they were not only fun but could also be educational at the same time. You’ll find these types of toys in just about any toy store or online retailer, but here are some of my favorites:
| Toy | Sensory Toys for Fine Motor Skills Development | Age Range |
|---|---|---|
| Play-Doh | Helps improve hand strength and finger dexterity through squeezing, rolling, and shaping | 2+ |
| Stacking rings | Promotes hand-eye coordination, grasping, and stacking skills | 6 months+ |
| Bead maze | Helps improve hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills through grasping and manipulating beads | 12 months+ |
| Lacing cards | Helps with hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, and concentration through threading laces through cards with holes | 3+ |
| Tweezers and small objects | Improves fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and concentration through picking up and moving small objects with tweezers | 4+ |
Lacing Beads
Lacing beads make a fun activity that can be used to improve your fine motor skills. In addition to being a great way to develop fine motor skills, lacing beads are also useful for teaching children about colors and patterns.
Laces can be used to teach the color red or blue, depending on which color the teacher has chosen before beginning the activity.
Laces can be used to teach shapes by making different shapes with your hands. For example: A square is made by making four loops in one direction and then four loops in another direction; A triangle is made by making three loops in one direction and then three loops again but going back down;
An octagon is made by making eight loops going both directions around until it reaches the end where you tie it up with a knot! Not only does this help kids identify different shapes, but it also teaches them sequencing skills as well as number recognition (numbers 1 through 8).
Sensory play is a great way to enhance learning and development in toddlers, as it engages all of their senses and helps them explore the world around them. Our guide on sensory play for toddlers provides helpful tips and activities to get your little one started on this fun and educational journey.
Wooden Shape Blocks
Wooden shape blocks are an excellent way to use fine motor skills in a fun way. They can be used by children, as well as adults, to build and create.
For example, you can use them to make a house or a tower. If you want something more complicated, like a dog or cat, then you have some options there too!
Wooden shape blocks are also great for improving hand-eye coordination because they are so much fun to play with!
Stringing Fun
Stringing beads is a great way to improve fine motor skills. This activity can be used to encourage color recognition, shape recognition and hand-eye coordination.
It is also a fun way to work on problem solving skills. For instance, if you have trouble threading the beads through the hole they will need to learn how it feels when they get it right and what happens when they don’t get it right.
Choosing the right sensory toys for your child is crucial for their development, as it can help them improve their fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and more. Our guide on sensory toys for toddlers can help you find the perfect toys for your little one, based on their age and developmental needs.
Twist and Turn Pegboard
Pegboards are a fun and easy way to improve your child’s fine motor skills. They’re also a great tool for helping them learn about shapes, colors, and patterns.
A pegboard is a board with holes drilled in it that you can fill with pegs or other small objects such as beads or buttons. The most common size of pegboard is 4×4 inches (10×10 cm).
You can buy wooden pegboards at craft stores, but if you have some spare time on your hands, why not make one yourself? It’s simple: just cut out a piece of cardboard into the shape of your chosen board (you can use anything from cardboard to foam core) then drill holes through it at regular intervals until it has as many holes as you need—make sure they’re big enough for the pegs!
You can use this kind of toy for all kinds of activities like basic counting practice as well as games like Tic Tac Toe where players try to get three pieces in a row before their opponent does by placing them onto an empty square space on the game board when their turn comes around again; if someone manages this first then he/she wins!
Puzzles and Boards
Next, you can use your toys with a puzzle. For example, if you have a wooden puzzle, put it on top of the toy and let your child solve it! This will help them develop their fine motor skills and also improve their problem solving skills.
You can also try using a magnifying glass or flashlight to allow them to see things up close (more details here). Another fun way to play with these toys is by holding one up against a mirror – this can be used for lots of different scenarios!
Finally, consider using this toy with other sensory toys. For instance, you could hold up an image from inside the book that shows what’s happening in each scene (and then take pictures of your child enjoying this activity).
Your child may enjoy looking at photos like these as they grow older because they’ll have made such good use of their fine motor skills while playing with these items in preschool!
Rubber Stamp Sets
Rubber stamps are a fun way to make art. They can be used to make letters, numbers, and shapes. You can also use rubber stamps to make pictures and words. Rubber stamps are great for making pictures of people and animals as well!
Rubber stamps are a great way for your child to improve fine motor skills because they require the child to pick up the stamp with their fingers or hands without dropping it onto the paper or table surface below them.
Scissors and Cutting Papers
Scissors are a fun way to teach kids how to cut. It’s a great fine motor skill that will help your child with writing and drawing in the future. If you want your child to learn the basics, give them some plain old paper and let them go at it!
When they’re ready for a challenge, try cutting along a line or even with scissors. You can make shapes out of construction paper and have them cut those out as well. The possibilities are endless!
Gross motor skills are important for children’s physical development, and sensory play can be a fun and effective way to build these skills. Our article on sensory play for building gross motor skills provides helpful activities and ideas to help your child build strength and coordination.
Finger and Hand Exercises
Finger and hand exercises are a fun way to improve fine motor skills.
Here are some examples of finger and hand exercises:
Finger stretching – This exercise is great for improving finger strength and flexibility. Stretch your fingers by extending them straight out, then curl them back in again towards your palm. Repeat this several times until you feel a slight burning sensation, which means that you’re doing it correctly!
Fingertip tapping – Tap the tip of each finger against your thumb in turn with each hand at least 20 times per set (i.e., tap with the left hand first). This exercise helps develop dexterity and co-ordination between hands, as well as boosting reaction speeds when playing video games or sports!
Safety precautions when doing finger and hand exercises include:
- Avoid over-stretching—it can lead to injury if done incorrectly.
- Never perform any type of exercise while seated or lying down (you need good balance).
Tracing Pictures and Letters in Sand or Shaving Cream
Tracing is a great way to improve fine motor skills. For this activity, you can use sand or shaving cream. The combination of a soft surface and the resistance of the marker will help strengthen your child’s grip and control.
Start by tracing letters and numbers with a variety of colored markers, then try tracing shapes or pictures! You could also trace over different textures sandpaper, velvet, cardboard to make it more challenging for your child.
Grasping skills are an important part of a child’s development, and sensory toys can help improve these skills in a fun and engaging way. Our guide on sensory toys for developing grasping skills provides helpful tips and toy recommendations to help your child improve their grip and dexterity.
Play-Doh, Clay, and Dough Tools
Play-Doh is a great tool for fine motor skill development. You can use playdough to make shapes, like a triangle or square, or you can create letters and numbers with it. Clay, like Play-Doh, is also a great tool for fine motor skill development.
If you’re interested in clay sculpting as an art form but aren’t sure where to start or what kind of tools are best suited to your needs, there are several options available online that will help guide you through the process; here’s one example from Amazon.
Lastly, dough is another option that’s fun for kids because it’s squishy and colorful! Kids will be able to form shapes out of it easily without having too much trouble holding onto their work due to its soft texture (just make sure not too much flour gets added).
Finger Knitting or Finger Crocheting
Finger knitting and finger crocheting can be done with yarn, but they’re also useful for improving fine motor skills.
Finger knitting is done using your fingers as the needles, while finger crocheting uses a hook that you hold between your fingers. The hook in this case acts like the needle in traditional crochet.
Both types of crafts are good for building hand strength and dexterity, which will help kids develop their fine motor skills. When you try one out, just be sure to secure loose ends so that no one gets poked by them!
Planting Seeds Together
Planting seeds together is a great way to learn about plant life cycles and spend time together. It can be done indoors or outdoors, and you can use a variety of containers including pots, trays, and trays (such as the one pictured above).
When you’re ready to start planting the seeds, consider talking about what they need in order to grow into healthy plants. For example: “The sun is our friend because it gives us light.” You could also talk about how plants get water from their roots: “When we put water in these cups it will go down into the dirt where we buried our seeds.”
Motor skill development is a crucial part of a child’s growth, and sensory toys can play an important role in building these skills. Our article on the importance of sensory toys for motor skill development explains how sensory toys can help improve fine and gross motor skills, and provides helpful tips for incorporating sensory play into your child’s routine.
Coloring Books, Crayons, Markers, Stickers and Glue
- Coloring books
- Crayons, markers and stickers
- Glue
DIY Sensory Toys for Fine Motor Skills Development
| Toy | Materials Needed | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Sensory bottle | Empty plastic bottle, water, glitter, and small objects | Improves visual tracking and hand-eye coordination as children move the bottle and watch the glitter and objects inside |
| Button snake | Felt, buttons, and string | Helps with buttoning skills and fine motor coordination as children thread buttons onto the string |
| Tactile board | Cardboard, different textured materials (e.g. sandpaper, cotton balls, bubble wrap) | Provides tactile stimulation and improves sensory processing as children touch and explore different textures |
| Pipe cleaner threading | Pipe cleaners and large beads | Improves hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills as children thread beads onto pipe cleaners |
| Sensory playdough | Flour, salt, cream of tartar, water, oil, and food coloring | Provides tactile stimulation and helps improve hand strength and dexterity as children knead, roll, and shape the dough |
Conclusion
We hope these ideas have inspired you to take a look at the toys in your home and see how you can use them as tools to improve fine motor skills.
If your child is struggling with fine motor skills, it’s important to find activities that are fun for them and will help them build those skills up over time.
Use our tips above as a guide for what kinds of toys will work best with your child’s needs!
Further Reading
If you’re interested in learning more about fine motor skills development and fun activities to improve them, check out these resources:
Empowered Parents: Fine Motor Activities: This article provides a variety of creative and engaging activities to help improve fine motor skills in children.
Understood: 6 Fine Motor Activities for Young Kids: This resource offers six fun and easy activities to help young children develop their fine motor skills.
Verywell Family: Toys for Fine Motor Skills Development: This article recommends a variety of toys and games that can help improve fine motor skills in children of different ages and developmental stages.
FAQs
What are fine motor skills?
Fine motor skills are the small movements that require control of the muscles in the hands and fingers, and are important for activities such as writing, drawing, and buttoning clothes.
When do children develop fine motor skills?
Fine motor skills develop gradually over time, and typically start to emerge in infants as they grasp and explore objects. They continue to develop throughout childhood and adolescence.
What are some common fine motor skills activities?
Common fine motor skills activities include playing with small toys, manipulating objects, drawing and coloring, and using scissors.
How can sensory toys improve fine motor skills?
Sensory toys can improve fine motor skills by providing tactile and visual stimulation, encouraging exploration and experimentation, and requiring the use of the small muscles in the hands and fingers.
What are some signs that a child may be struggling with fine motor skills development?
Signs that a child may be struggling with fine motor skills development include difficulty with writing or drawing, trouble manipulating small objects, and struggling with self-care tasks such as buttoning clothes or tying shoes.
Meet Hellen James, the multi-talented writer and nurturing mother who takes young readers on a thrilling journey through her sensory-infused blog. Drawing inspiration from her own experiences as a parent.
