Motor Development

Fine-Motor Development

Promote Fine-motor development by encouraging your child to:

• Brush his or her teeth
• Use crayons, pencils and markers
• Cut with scissors
• Play with clay, sand and water
• Assemble puzzles
• Trace objects using stencils
• Help prepare food by mixing, pouring and stirring
• Measuring and rolling
• Make necklaces and bracelets by stringing o-shaped cereal and macaroni
• Pick up cotton balls or other small objects with tongs
• Zip and button
• Buckle seat belts
• Finger paint
• Draw circles, squares and triangles
• Trace shapes, letters and numbers
• Dress and undress without assistance

Gross-Motor Development

Children should participate in activities that strengthen their muscle control. These include:

• Dancing
• Hopping on one foot
• Jump roping
• Climbing
• Exercising
• Riding a bicycle with training wheels
• Roller-Skating
• Learning to swim
• Marching to music
• Throwing a ball underhand
• Catching a ball or a beanbag
• Kicking or bouncing a ball