Developing Fine Motor Skills in Children Free Activity Book

Having received many requests for further information on Fine Motor Skills and how to go about downloading the eBook, I searched the net and compiled this brief report from a number of Top Class websites who specialise in FMS.

Fine motor skills activities for children are the best way to ensure proper development and practice of fine motor skills to promote the most functional use of a child's hands.

Normal development DEMANDS that children are able to accurately and effectively use the small muscles (intrinsic muscles) in their hands. These intrinsic muscles will be used for the rest of their lives and for essential functional activities.

Childhood is the critical time to properly develop these muscles. These are skills that simply may need some extra work to develop optimally, that's all. So, please... no blaming the child or the parents.

The building of fine motor skills in children will enable them to perform a variety of important functional tasks. These include:

tying shoes
zipping and unzipping
buckling and unbuckling
writing legibly and without significant muscle fatigue
playing games that require precise hand and finger control
drawing, painting, and coloring
manipulating buttons and snaps
putting small objects together
doing puzzles
making crafts
using scissors
manipulating small objects such as coins
opening and closing objects
picking up and holding onto small objects
developing and maintaining an effective and proper pencil grip
pinching objects between fingers
using locks and keys
being able to isolate finger movements (i.e., using one finger at a time, such as in playing the piano or typing)
turning things over or turning pages of a book
holding and using utensils properly and effectively
screwing and unscrewing
doing ANYTHING that requires small precise hand and finger movements
You can now see the importance of fine motor skills and the impact it would have if not developed properly! If your child is struggling to do any of these aforementioned activities and you are concerned that they may have poor fine motor skills, then it is time to practice, enhance, and evaluate these skills.

I just want to mention, there is a very high correlation between children with sensory processing disorders and children with a delay in fine motor skills. It is often a big part of sensory integration therapy and one of the main reasons children are initially referred to an Occupational Therapist. Please understand, I am NOT saying they HAVE a sensory processing disorder if they have poor fine motor skills...fine motor delays may be an isolated issue.

I can't stress enough how important properly developed fine motor skills are to every day living! The ability to complete functional activities that require these skills will follow you your entire life. So, I beg of you... if you see signs of fine motor difficulties in any child, please address it with a teacher, Occupational Therapist, or through educating yourself on how to improve fine motor skills.

Main Source of this Information

The free 116 page Activity eBook on Developing Fine Motor Skills in Children can be accessed here.

The 170 Page Activity eBook on Developing Fine Motor Skills in Children can be accessed here. This is also in 2 formats 170 pages is A4, and 172 pages is US letter size.

There are 2 versions of the smaller activity book, 72 pages US size and 70 pages A4 in Scribd and they can be downloaded for free in PDF format. Click here

WARNING: PLEASE READ - As with any activity involving children, I cannot stress enough the importance of safety and adult supervision. NO SCISSORS TASKS, CUT & PASTE ACTIVITIES, PLAY DOUGH ACTIVITIES, COOKING, CUTTING, PASTING OR WORKING WITH SMALLER OBJECTS should be undertaken without appropriate supervision. Little children do not always and cannot always distinguish from what should and should not go into the mouth, the nose, the ears, and since they are still learning the basic skills of cutting, may not be absolutely familiar with the use and handling of a pair of scissors, glue, paste, play dough. Please exercise the utmost caution when undertaking arts, crafts or activities with the children in your care.