Fine Motor Development

2-6 months

• Grasps a rattle, holds bottle with both hands
• Clasps hands together
• Reaches, pulls objects to mouth
•  Pulls at clothes
• Picks up objects using “raking” motion with fingers

6-9   months

• Bangs object on table
• Transfers object  hand to hand
• Claps hands together
• Feeds self finger foods

9-15 months

• Holds small object between thumb and index finger (pincer grasp)
• Marks on paper with crayon
• Puts three or more objects into a container
• Builds tower of two cubes
• Drinks from cup/feeds self with spoon

15-18 months

• Scribbling, imitates vertical stroke
• Builds tower of four cubes, puts four rings on stick
• Removes shoes and socks
• Turns knobs

2-3 years

• Copies a circle and a cross
• Strings four large beads
• Turns page in a book
• Snips with scissors on a line
• Buttons and unbuttons large  buttons

4-5 years

• Copies a square
• Prints own name with a tripod pencil grasp
• Ties shoelaces
• Cuts on line continuously

5-6 years

• Copies a triangle
• Cuts out simple shapes
• Prints numerals from 1 to 5
• Color within lines
• Pastes and glues

Fine Motor Activities

Infants

• Offer your baby a rattle to hold
• Let your baby feel many different textures
• Help teach your baby to pick up small objects by offering small bits of food

Toddlers

• Show baby how to drop objects into a container
• Show your baby how to bang two small objects together
• Show your baby how to find a toy by pulling a cloth or blanket off a partly hidden toy
• Encourage playing with blocks and nesting toys

2-3 years

• Encourage play with puzzles, blocks, nesting toys and drawing materials
• Show your child how to draw shapes such as circles, lines, faces and stick figures
• Give your child an empty egg carton to use for “pockets” and have the child sort things such as different kinds of buttons, colors etc.
• Encourage cutting, using child safety scissors
• Sewing cards
• Finger painting

4-5 years

• Continue puzzles, drawing, sorting, cutting and gluing
• Watercolor paints with a brush
• Coloring books
• Help your child print simple letters such as his name

5-6 years

• Continue puzzles, drawing, sorting, cutting, pasting
• Use clay  to help your child make objects and animals
• Show your child how to make simple recipes, such as cookies from a mix
• Help your child use a hammer, saw and nails with supervision