Hello, Mommies and Daddies!
Sharing with you this week about:
Fine Motor Skills & Practical Life
One of the biggest things messy/sensory play addresses is the development of fine motor skills. Why is the early development of fine motor skills important? It is because the success of a child being able to do practical life tasks are dependent on this. So more play dough time could lead to less frustration when learning to do buckles, buttons and zips later on as our little ones grow.
Fine motor skills involve the use of the smaller muscles of our hands efficiently working together to fulfil a task. Some of the first applications are activities such as holding a spoon, pulling pants up and down, and gripping a zipper and moving it from side to side, and later on, writing, and handling simple tools.
Sensory play often involves using and building fine motor skills by exploring things using pinching, pouring, and lacing movements.
The activities we post which have a fine motor focus, will provide an opportunity for tasks that encourage these movements. An example of this is with play dough–manipulating dough strengthens muscles as they create and play! Rolling, cutting, shaping and squirting are all great ways to encourage several muscle groups to work together to accomplish a goal.
For younger toddlers, one way to play is by hiding small toys in a large batch of dough and have them dig to find them. Making crafts are also a great way to strengthen fine motor skills and practice practical life skills while being creative and imaginative.
Get those kiddos flexing their fingers, and have fun while playing! We would love to know your favourite fine motor activities that your kiddos are into now. Please share them with us on our social media by tagging us @messybabyplay.
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