Exploring With His Hands

Fine motor skills are children’s ability to use the small muscles in their fingers, hands and wrists to manipulate objects. Fine motor development takes place sequentially just like gross motor development. During this phase of a child’s life, he or she should be able to:

• Pick up tiny objects with a pincher grasp;
• Hold two objects at once in one hand;
• Hold an object with one hand and explore it with the other;
• Pass an object from one hand to the other.                                                        

Soon, a child will be able to scribble using a crayon as well as place objects into a container after you have properly demonstrated it. Now is also a good time to let children play with toys that require them to fit different shapes into their corresponding holes. They may not do it perfectly at first, but with constant practice, they sure will in no time! And as they continue to explore using their crayons, they will soon be producing their very first artwork, most probably in the form of random scribbles and doodles on a piece of paper. Make sure you save that precious piece!

Also during this time, you may notice that children will have developed this uncanny interest in unpacking things. They tend to take all their building blocks out of their storage box, or else unpack the plastic ware cupboard in the kitchen. This behavior is normal and should not be cause for alarm, although you may want to exercise a bit more patience when it’s time to clean up! In fact, this behavior is a good sign for children’s development, but it is equally important for you to coach them to put them back in order afterwards.

It is also time to stock up on your children’s very first art materials. Get chunky crayons, non-toxic finger paints and large felt tip pens. Choose art materials with which they can make bright, clear strokes with little effort. Simple feats such as being able to doodle on a blank sheet of paper will do wonders to their imagination! For toddlers, take extra care in getting high quality art materials that are non-toxic and preferably washable. Lastly, never allow your children to use these unsupervised! Besides, seeing them come up with their very first works of art is something you wouldn’t want to miss for the world!