Those activities which need small muscles of the hand and toes are called fine motor activities. These activities can be buttoning, cutting, writing, picking, and many more. Every day we do many activities which need fine motor skills. From the beginning of life until the end, we need this skill to continue the activities of daily living. Each developmental stage has its desire and demand for these skills, whether from moving an infant to adulthood.
An infant explores his things with his hands, and a toddler starts shifting stuff with his hands, a teenager begins his writing with his hands, adolescence start performing her duties with his hands and an adult is a perfect example of using hands for all his activities of daily living.
By the time the child becomes 6-year-old, he or she should be doing Reach, grasp, release, pinch, in-hand manipulation.
Reach: -Reaching towards the object for taking it.
Grasp: – Holds object and carry and transfer
Release: – When asked or not even asked you to release the objects from your hand.
Pinch: – an essential skill for handwriting and that start with scribbling
In hand manipulation: – Shifting, rotation, and Translation.
Bilateral Hand Use: Use her two hands together in an activity.
Some activities which can help in developing and enriching the skills are as follows:-
- Object shifting:- shifting an object from one place to another. It could be anything as per age.
- Finger painting
- Nuts and bolts:- Opening and closing
- Clay work
- Paper roll/tissue paper.
- Cloth pin/rubber bad
- playing with cards