All mothers know that children need to develop fine motor skills of their hands. But not everyone knows how to do it correctly, and indeed what is fine motor skills and what features does it have? What activities, games and exercises should be done with children to develop motor skills? Let's consider all these questions in detail.
General concept and features of fine motor skills of children
Fine motor skills are the ability to perform small and precise movements with the hands and fingers and toes as a result of the coordinated actions of the most important systems: nervous, muscular and bone. With regard to the motor skills of the hands and fingers, the term dexterity is often used. The fine motor area includes a large number of various movements from simple gestures(eg grasping a toy) to very complex movements (eg writing and drawing).
The development of fine motor skills plays important role For general development child. Fine motor skills develop from the newborn. First, the baby looks at his hands, then learns to control them. First, he takes objects with the whole palm, then only with two (thumb and forefinger) fingers. Then the child is taught to properly hold a spoon, pencil, brush.
Fine motor skills have very important feature. She is associated with nervous system, vision, attention, memory and perception of the child. Also, scientists have proven that the development of fine motor skills and the development of speech are very closely related. And this is explained very simply. In the brain, speech and motor centers are located very close to each other. Therefore, when the motor skills of the fingers are stimulated, the speech center begins to activate. That is why for timely development child's speech is necessary great attention to develop fine motor skills. Fine motor skills directly affect manual dexterity, handwriting, which will be formed in the future, and the reaction speed of the child.
According to the peculiarities of the development of fine motor skills of the child, in the future they judge his readiness for training in a school institution. If everything is in order, then the child is prepared for learning to write, knows how to think and reason logically, has a good memory, concentration, attention and imagination, and coherent speech.
Fine motor skills develop gradually, this is an individual process and for each child it goes at its own pace. At first, the baby's movements are awkward, inept and inharmonious. To help the baby improve fine motor skills, you need to play educational games with him (the online magazine "Razvitie" has articles about educational games for children at 1 year old, as well as games for the development of children at 2 years old).
Activities, games and exercises for the development of fine motor skills
There are many activities, games and exercises to develop fine motor skills. They can be divided into the following groups: finger games, games with small objects, modeling and drawing, finger massage. Articles about the development of the child according to the Montessori system, as well as about the Montessori games, will also be interesting.
Consider the most simple and effective games:
1. Hand massage
This is the easiest and most versatile way for any age to develop fine motor skills. Run your finger along the child's palms, stroke them and massage. Accompany your actions with the saying “Magpie-Crow”.
2.Ladushki
Since childhood, everyone knows the nursery rhyme “Ladushki-okladushki”. This game will teach the little ones to straighten their fingers and clap their hands.
3. paper tearing
This exercise is suitable for children from 7 months. Give your baby a few sheets of soft colored paper. He will feel it with pleasure, begin to turn it in his hands and tear it. This occupation will give him untold pleasure.
4. Page turning
After a year, tearing the paper can be replaced by turning the pages of some picture book or magazine.
5. beads
Children love to touch small items which is very helpful. Therefore, you can put on some beads with beads different size and forms. The child will touch them with his fingers with joy and interest.
6. bowl inserts
From them you can build towers, put them into each other. This game develops the child's concept of the size of objects.
7. cereals
Pour any cereal into a bowl and give it to the baby. He will touch the cereal with his hand or spill it through his fingers. This game develops fine motor skills and tactile sensations well.
8. Jars of cereals
Pour different cereals into jars and let the child dip his hand into each of the jars in turn. So he can feel different grains and take them with his fingers. You can complicate the task. In front of the child, bury some small object in the cereal and give him a jar. Let him try to find this item.
9. Drawing in the sand
Pour sand onto the tray. Take the child's finger in your hand and run it across the sand. You can start with simple shapes - lines, a rectangle, a circle, gradually complicating the task.
Toys for the development of fine motor skills
10.Pea
You will need a pea and a jar with a removable lid. Show the child that you first need to remove the lid, then take the pea with your fingers and put it in a jar, then close the lid. Ask your child to do the same. Don't be discouraged if it doesn't work the first time. Show the baby the whole chain of actions slowly several times and then he will definitely be able to repeat everything. Active children quickly get bored with this game, in this case there is no need to force them. Offer the child a different game.
11.Screw caps
Such a simple activity as screwing and unscrewing the lids of cans, bottles, bubbles develops finger dexterity. Offer your baby vessels different sizes and shapes, it will make the game more varied.
12.Fastening, unfastening and lacing
This exercise does not require any additional toys. Gradually include the child in the process of dressing. Let him fasten and unbutton his own buttons and zippers. This will not only develop hand movements, but also teach the child to be independent. Also, give your child some unnecessary lace-up shoes that will be a great hand trainer.
13. modeling
Modeling is suitable for children different ages. Plasticine, clay, dough are suitable for modeling. When you are going to bake something, be sure to bring your child with you. He will love to knead and roll out the dough. In addition, he will be proud that he helps his mother.
Exercises for the development of fine motor skills of hands
14. Drawing and coloring
It is very useful to trace the outline of pictures, consisting of dotted lines, as well as color objects various shapes. It is very useful to draw on vertical surfaces: wall, blackboard, mirror. Therefore, it is advisable to hang a special board for the baby so that he draws.
15. Collecting mosaics and puzzles
For children under 3 years old, puzzles and mosaics with large parts are chosen. Puzzles also train the imagination.
16. Cutting
Buy baby scissors, glue stick, colored paper and cardboard. Teach him to craft. Cut out pictures, paste them, make snowflakes, etc. This will not only develop fine motor skills, but also spatial imagination and creative thinking.
However, it is worth remembering one simple thing. Games for the development of fine motor skills should be carried out under the supervision of adults. Otherwise, the child may swallow some small part or choke on it. You need to play games and perform exercises that develop fine motor skills systematically. Practice with your child every day and you will soon notice that your baby's movements become more and more smooth, clear and coordinated each time.
A trifle for the development of fine motor skills
Development of fine motor skills | Important Preface
Once I read a post by a mother about how she actively engages in fine motor skills with her baby, sometimes finding “surprises” in the diaper, and I was horrified, because each of the small motor surprises could be the cause of the baby’s death! I want to warn everyone that small objects in the airways are deadly And if you are not ready to keep your eyes on the baby during fine motor skills, it is better to wait until 3 years!
When practicing fine motor skills with kids, do not forget about most important rule:
If a child under three years of age has objects less than 5-4 cm within reach, your gaze should be constantly riveted on the child.
All children put everything in their mouths
| Lots of kids do it, but Not all! I was lucky - Yana almost never put anything into her mouth. At the first games with small objects, I gave her a few warnings. For about a year, such warnings were no longer required. Sometimes she has a desire to pour loose objects, including on her head. Especially when getting acquainted with a new bulk filler. As a rule, after a series of explanations, this desire passes. I suggest trying to collect statistics by answering the question: |
Fillers for the development of fine motor skills
Fillers-grains for the development of fine motor skills
The very first question for those who are just thinking about fine motor skills is “Which filler to use?”.
Basically, everyone wants it to be economical and look aesthetically pleasing.
I suggest focusing on age limits. It makes no sense for a baby of 6-8 months to offer small cereals for the development of motor skills. As such, small-motor development in this case will be ineffective. The kid will get a portion tactile sensations, But for little hands, whose sensitivity is not yet developed, fine grits overly complex filler. Imagine if you are offered to sort out cereals in mittens. It's not very convenient, is it? Therefore, we start with large parts, gradually reducing their size.
After the baby begins to confidently hold medium objects 5-4 cm, we provide smaller ones.
It makes sense to add cereals and other small fillers when the baby begins to learn to hold spoons, spatulas, pour, sow. Most often, this age corresponds to 1 year, for babies with a rapid pace of development, it is better to start playing with cereals from 9 months.
For aesthetic combinations, I have the following guidelines:
- A dark-colored trifle goes well with buckwheat, figurines and beads made of wood and nuts.
- Universal for combinations of cereals - rice. It can even be painted to match the little things.
The most economical fillers and their companions:
- cereals;
- grandmother's buttons;
- beads from cheap jewelry.
The most interesting filler (one of our favorites) - kinetic sand(about him I have a beautiful and detailed one). It's good in every way, except for the price. A variety of games with him requires a separate post :-).
Disadvantages and features of some fillers:
- hydrogel- popular due to the unusual tactile texture, but with a detailed study of the composition, you can find out that when it is destroyed, potassium acrylate and acrylamide are released. Acrylamide is a lethal neurotoxin and has been found to cause cancer in laboratory animals. It easily passes through the skin and can be inhaled as a dust. If swallowing is excluded, then games with hydrogel are dangerous only if it rolls into a far corner and begins to break down in the room. Therefore, we do not use hydrogel in our games.
- glass pebbles for aquariums (marbles) - I counted them great option until, buying the next portion, I did not encounter broken ones. It turns out that during the game there is a chance that the child can break the pebble and cut himself with fragments. We do not leave the baby alone even with large pebbles! This is, of course, reinsurance, in general, marbles are very pleasant for games - I recommend it!
- round beads and marbles - they like to roll into various cracks. Yana loves them so much that sometimes I just can't refuse her the pleasure of driving them around the apartment.
- semolina and ordinary sand are very loose, quickly capture the territory and therefore are not convenient. We deal with them in rare cases, only when the lesson requires a fine texture (learning to use a sieve or salt shaker).
The development of fine motor skills in games for the little ones
Fine motor skills, according to various sources, are the movements of the fingers or hands and fingers. By the way, gross motor skills are the movement of arms and legs, and it is no less important :-).
The development of fine motor skills should begin from the moment when the child has learned to hold the first rattle. To begin with, we suggest keeping the most comfortable lungs and small items. Gradually we complicate the task - we give out smaller items and offer them to touch / get / put / hide / select / sort from various containers, etc. There should be a lot of games because most are disposable - they get bored after one game.
For games with the smallest it is better to use:
Ideal options for the development of fine motor skills are many items that are in every home:
- tea bags in individual packages;
- a set of sponges for washing dishes (it is even more interesting to play with them if cut into pieces);
- chess;
- hair bands;
- to develop tactile sensations, pour fillers of different textures into small socks (beans, semolina, rice, cotton wool, etc.), sew them up so that the filler does not spill out. Some socks can be stuffed tightly, others softly. Give this variety to the study of the child. The game will probably take about 5 minutes. After losing interest in sock blanks, hide them away and take them out in a month or two. Interest in socks will return each time until the child discovers their secret - i.e. up to 4-5 years, and maybe older.
- colorful toilet paper :-).
Here are some of our game options, I hope I will be original:
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Scarves and pyramid rings are a great start to developing fine motor skills. |
Hair bands are another safe and interesting option for Game |
Development of fine motor skills in children older than 1 year (in rare cases, 9 months)
Depending on the pace of development (for faster ones - in 9 months, for slow ones - by a year), we add games with:
- cereals;
- sand accessories;
- toy dishes;
- pyramid with cups.
Some mothers recommend giving babies a spoon as soon as possible for the fastest learning to eat independently. I am against this, because if you have a child with a slow pace of development, you will have to for a long time wash the whole kitchen and the child himself. It is quite another thing to learn how to use a spoon on cereals!
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We sift the rice from the beads. This is our favorite sieve - large and convenient |
For some reason, Yana attracted these ducks to small-engine games |
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The dishes can be replaced with a pyramid of cups and a regular spoon |
The easiest thing to do with a spoon, you can use an egg cell and beads for it |
Development of fine motor skills of advanced kids (from 1.5 years old)
At an older age, the kid himself begins to invent games, often turning them into role-playing ones.
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Beads 0.5 cm perfectly laid out in cells reverse side Lego parts |
Small cubes of dish sponge Yana was carried away for several hours |
Many of the games in this post come from watching Yana.
Fine motor skills | A few words about Jan
For those who are interested in our success, I will write about its development (it is now almost 1 year 10 months old). Despite the active, plentiful classes in fine motor skills and other things, the results of speech development are very modest - there are only about 10 words in the active vocabulary. Sometimes I get the impression that my daughter decided to prove the failure of modern pedagogical theories :-).
Nevertheless, this is not a reason not to follow them and, at a slow pace of development, consider your efforts in vain, since most likely the results are not visible to the naked eye. After all, in fact it is very difficult to objectively assess the development of the child(the degree of his understanding of the surrounding situation, the ability to make decisions and other really important things) - therefore, they took for standards what can be counted and measured (such superficial signs as the number of words in active dictionary, cubes in a tower, etc.).
I hope the post was helpful to you! If you liked the material, write about it on your favorite forum about babies and add a link to this page in your post or repost this post on social networks:
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Introduction
In Russia, it has long been customary to teach a child to play with his fingers from an early age. These were such games as “Ladushki”, “Forty-white-sided”, etc. After washing the baby’s hands, they wiped it with a towel, as if massaging each finger individually.
It has been proven that fine work with fingers contributes to the development of speech in children. Therefore, it is very important to develop fine motor skills in a child from a very early age. But just doing the exercises will be boring for the baby - you need to turn them into interesting and useful games.
IN Lately on the packages of children's games you can see the inscription: "For the development of fine motor skills of hands." Many parents have heard about this concept, but not everyone knows how to develop fine motor skills and why it needs to be done.
It is now known that the initial stage life fine motor skills reflects how your baby develops, testifies to his intellectual abilities. From how deftly the child learns to control his fingers in the very early age depends on its further development.
Under the term fine motor skills refers to the coordinated movements of the small muscles of the fingers and hands. They are important not only for performing various daily activities, but also for stimulating the development of the child's brain.
Along with the development of fine motor skills, memory, attention, as well as lexicon your baby.
Periods of development of the child in preschool age
The famous Italian educator Maria Montessori identified three periods in the development of children:
Development of children's speech (from 0 to 6 years). At this time there are two important events. From 1 year to 2.5 years, the child's vocabulary is rapidly expanding. At 4-4.5 years old, he masters writing (but only under the condition of developed fine motor skills);
Perception of small objects (from 1.5 to 5.5 years). At this age, the child likes to play with buttons, beads, sticks, etc. With the help of such objects, the motor skills of the child's hands can be developed. Just make sure that the baby does not take them in his mouth;
Formation of the simplest self-service skills (from 1 year to 4 years). At this age, the child is taught to independently dress, eat and perform hygiene procedures.
1. Exercises for the development of fine motor skills are carried out in a complex, starting from the first months of a child's life.
2. In the set of exercises, try to include tasks for squeezing, relaxing and stretching the baby's hands.
3. Start or end with a hand massage session.
4. Carry out fine motor development work regularly, according to age and level. physical development baby.
5. First, the adult performs all movements with the hands of the baby, and as he masters, the child begins to do them on his own.
6. Carefully monitor that the exercises are performed correctly by the child. If the baby finds it difficult to complete any task, immediately help him: fix the desired position of the fingers, etc.
7. Alternate new and old games and exercises. After your child has mastered simple motor skills, move on to mastering more complex ones.
8. Perform certain movements while listening to (and then pronouncing the child) a poem.
9. Encourage the child's creative activity, let him come up with some exercises.
10. Conduct classes emotionally, actively, praise the baby for success, but do not forget to monitor his mood and physical condition.
Exercises for the development of fine motor skills of hands for children from 0 to 2 years
1. "Forty-white-sided"
First, the adult runs his finger along the child’s palm and says: “Magpie cooks porridge.” Then the baby himself begins to drive his finger along the palm of his hand. We complicate the game: on the phrase “I gave this,” the adult alternately bends the child’s fingers to the palm, except for the little finger: “But I didn’t give it.” Slightly shaking it, we say with a playful reproach: “You didn’t carry water ...”, etc.
white-sided magpie
cooked porridge,
She fed the kids.
I gave this
I gave this
I gave this
I gave this
But she didn't give it:
"You didn't carry water,
Didn't cut wood
Didn't cook porridge
You have nothing."
2. "Pancakes"
Take the baby's hands in your hands and clap your hands. Show your child the movements and ask them to repeat them.
Sweets, sweets,
Sound crackers.
Clapped their hands
They clapped a little.
3. "Okay"
Read the nursery rhyme and at the same time accompany the words with gestures
Sweeties, sweeties!
(Show the baby your palms.)
Where were you?
By Grandma.
What did they eat?
Porridge.
What did they drink?
Brazhka.
(Clap your hands.)
Butter bowl,
Brazhka sweetie,
Grandma is good.
Drink, eat!
Shu - fly!
They sat on the head.
(Raise your hands up, turning your palms to the right and left, then lower them with a “house” on your head.)
4. "House"
This is a house.
(Put both palms together.)
This is the roof.
(Join your palms and interlace your fingers.)
And the pipe is even higher.
(Raise all fingers up without disengaging them.)
5. "Hide and Seek"
Fingers play hide-and-seek,
Open-va-yut-sya,
(Raising your palm, spread all your fingers.)
Close-va-yut-sya.
(Put your fingers together and make a fist.)
6. Bunnies
Place all fingers of one hand on the table.
The bunnies went out into the meadow,
We got into a small circle.
One bunny, two bunnies, three bunnies,
Four bunnies, five...
(Count the bunny.)
Let's kick our toes.
(Tap all fingers on the table together or apart.)
They knocked, they knocked
And tired.
Sat down to rest.
(Bend your fingers into a fist.)
7. "Hello, finger"
Alternately touch the index, middle, ring fingers and little finger to thumb.
Hello dear finger
Here we met with you.
8. "Strong fingers"
Bend your fingers and invite your baby to do the same. Then take it by the fingers and pull them each in your direction.
Massage of the palms and fingers for children from 0 to 2 years
Finger massage is very useful to a small child. Fingers are closely connected with the brain and internal organs: little finger - with the heart, ring finger - with the liver, middle - with the intestines and spine, index - with the stomach, large - with the brain.
1. Take the baby's palm and carefully massage each finger, starting with the little finger. Perform massage movements from the nail phalanx to the palm, paying attention to each joint.
2. Massage the baby's fingertips, making light pressure on them.
3. Massage the baby's palms with circular movements of the index finger.
4. Take the child's hand in your hand and lightly press the thumb to make circular motions in the center of the palm.
5. Massage your fingers with the circular spiral massager. Put the massager on the baby's finger and massage the fingers up and down in the same sequence (starting with the little finger).
6. Take two massage brushes and pass them over the palms of the child. His hands are on his knees, palms up.
Exercises for the development of fine motor skills of hands for children from 2 years
1. "Fisherman"
Pour water into a bowl and throw in a few small items: pieces of cork, twigs, large beads etc. Invite the child, using a small sieve tied to a stick, to fish out all these items in turn and put them on a plate standing on a tray to the right of the bowl. The "fishing rod" the baby should hold with one hand.
2. "Track"
Make a path on the table 3-5 cm wide, bounded on both sides by strips of paper. Invite the baby to sprinkle it with semolina or millet. Groats should be taken with three fingers and try not to spill over the edges of the track.
3. "Magic spoon"
Put two cups on a tray: on the left - a cup with cereals, and on the right - an empty one. By moving the child's hand, show him how to take the cereal with a spoon. Gently bring the spoon to the empty cup and tilt it over it. Task: pour all the cereal from the left cup into the right one.
4. "Sweet tea"
Your baby can already put sugar in his tea on his own. Now teach him to stir the sugar in the mug.
5. Salute
The child takes small pieces of colored paper and tries to tear them as small as possible. He puts the torn pieces on a saucer. Then you need to take all the pieces in the palm of your hand and throw them up.
6. "Make a ball"
Give the child a sheet of paper. His task: to crumple the sheet so that a tight lump is obtained.
7. "Spyglass"
The child takes a sheet of A4 paper and folds it with both hands into a tube, after which he brings the tube to the eye and examines the surrounding objects into it.
8. "Collect sticks"
Scatter the counting sticks in front of the child. The kid must collect them all one by one back into the box.
Massage of the palms and fingers with a prickly massage ball
1. The ball is between the palms of the child, the fingers are pressed to each other. Make massage movements by rolling the ball back and forth.
2. The ball is between the palms of the child, the fingers are pressed to each other. Make circular motions by rolling the ball over your palms.
3. Holding the ball with your fingertips, rotate forward (as if you were screwing on a lid).
4. Holding the ball with the pads of your fingers, press them firmly on the ball (4-6 times).
5. Holding the ball with your fingertips, rotate back (as if opening a lid).
6. Throw the ball with both hands to a height of 20-30 cm and catch it.
7. Hold the ball between the palms, the fingers are clasped in a “lock”, the elbows are directed to the sides. Press your palms on the ball (4-6 times).
8. Shift the ball from one hand to the other, gradually increasing the pace.
Exercises for the development of fine motor skills of hands for children 3 years old
1. "Labyrinth"
Draw a maze on a piece of paper. Let the baby pass over it with a pencil or just a finger. To make it more interesting for the child to complete the task, you can come up with a little fairy tale: tell where this labyrinth leads, to whom, who should go through it.
2. "Beads"
It develops the baby’s hand well by stringing buttons, beads, pasta, dryers, etc. on a fishing line or thread. Start with items that have a wider hole - so at first it will be easier for the baby to master this task.
3. "Walk the path"
Draw a simple path on a sheet in a large cell. Ask your child to circle it with a finger, a colored pencil. If the child copes with this task, draw a more difficult path.
4. "Figures"
From the age of 3, children can already be taught to cut geometric shapes with scissors and stick them on a sheet of paper. It is important that the scissors have rounded ends, that is, they are safe.
5. "Surprise"
Wrap the badge in 4-5 candy wrappers. Ask your child to unfold all the candy wrappers and fold them neatly.
6. "Pegs on a basket"
Place a basket of clothespins on the table. Take the clothespin with three fingers and attach it to the edge of the basket. Have your child do the same. After the baby has mastered this, invite him to attach all the clothespins.
7. "Colorful clothespins"
On the table is a basket with colorful clothespins. Ask the child to attach a white, red, blue, green ... color clothespin to the edge of the basket with three fingers.
8. "Treat"
Invite your child to mold treats for toys from plasticine (drying, bagels, gingerbread, cookies, sweets) and decorate them with cereals, beads, etc. Cut out plates from thick cardboard and ask the child to arrange the prepared treats beautifully on them.
finger games
Very important part fine motor development activities are finger games that activate the child's brain, promote speech development and help prepare the hand for writing.
During these games, children develop dexterity, the ability to control their actions and concentrate on one type of activity.
By the age of 5, children are already learning to perform tasks that require sufficient accuracy and coordination of hand movements.
All the exercises suggested here should be performed at a slow pace, 3 to 5 times, first with one and then with the other hand. Make sure they are done correctly. Do the exercises for a few minutes, 2-3 times a day.
1. "Kitten"
Squeeze and unclench the fingers of both hands.
You, kitten, are not food!
You better look for your mom.
2. "Squirrel"
Unbend all fingers one by one, starting with the thumb. First do the exercise with your right hand, and then with your left.
A squirrel sits on a cart
She sells nuts
fox-sister,
Sparrow, titmouse,
Bear fat-fifth,
Mustachioed hare.
3. "Tsap-scratch"
The child puts his hand on top of yours. You read a poem, and the baby listens attentively to you. At the words “tac-scratch”, he must pull back the handle so that his fingers do not fall into your “trap”. Then the other hand comes into play. After a while, you can switch roles.
On the palm, on the path
Little cat walks
In small paws
Hid the scratches.
If you suddenly want
Sharpens claws.
Tsap-scratch!
4. "Funny fingers"
Clench your fingers into a fist. Unbend them one by one, starting with the big one. Then turn the brush to the right and left 5 times.
Thumb - danced,
Index - jumped,
Middle finger - squatted
Nameless - everything was spinning,
And the little finger was having fun.
5. "Fan"
Keep your palms in front of you, fingers pressed ("fan closed"). Spread widely, and then press your fingers together (“open and close the fan”). Wave your brushes towards you and away from you (“fanning”) 6-8 times.
6. "Peacock"
Attach all fingers of the left hand to the thumb. Palm right hand with open fingers, put it on the back of your left hand (“peacock tail”). Connect and spread your fingers ("peacock opens and closes the tail").
At the cheerful peacock
Fruit basket full.
A peacock is waiting for friends to visit,
For now, there is only one peacock.
7. "Butterfly"
Clench your fingers into a fist. Alternately straighten the little finger, ring and middle fingers, and connect the thumb and forefinger into a ring. With straightened fingers, make quick movements (“the butterfly flaps its wings”) - first with one, then with the other hand.
8. “Stand up for exercises!«
Bend your fingers to the palm one by one, starting with the little finger. Then thumb touch everyone else, as if raising them to charge. After that, do exercises - squeeze and unclench the fist 5 times.
Fifth finger - fast asleep.
The fourth finger - only dozed off.
The third finger - fell asleep.
The second finger - all yawned.
The first finger stood up cheerfully,
Picked up everyone.
Exercises for the development of fine motor skills of hands for children 3-4 years old
1. "Cones on a plate"
Invite your child to roll pine, spruce, and cedar cones on a plate. First let him roll one bump, then two, three, etc.
2. Circle the object
You can circle everything that comes to hand: the bottom of a glass, an inverted saucer, your own palm, a spoon, etc.
3. "Magic pattern"
Poke holes in thick cardboard with an awl or nail - they should be arranged in a certain order and represent geometric figure, drawing or pattern. Let the kid independently embroider a pattern with a thick needle with a bright thread.
4. "Sew on a button"
Show your child how to sew on a button. After that, let the baby do the same under your supervision.
5. "Colorful snowflakes"
Show your child how to make paper snowflakes. Once your child is able to cut out the snowflake, ask him to color it. Let the child cut out a few more snowflakes and color them as well.
6. "Lace up your shoe"
Show your child how to lace up a shoe different ways. First, lace up the boot with it. Once your toddler has mastered the lacing technique, ask him to lace up the boot himself.
7. "Magic pipette"
Invite your child to play wizard. On a piece of paper, paint a few multi-colored spots with paints. Show your child how to use the dropper to drop only one drop. After that, let him drop a drop of water on each colored spot. Then watch with your child how the spot will grow and turn into a pattern.
8. "Little Apothecary"
Tell your child about the work of a pharmacist. Then show him how to use tweezers to lay out and shift the beads from place to place. In the game, you can use beads of different sizes.
Massage of palms and fingers with natural materials
For children 4 years old, you can offer a massage using pine, spruce, cedar cones, walnuts, hazelnuts.
1. "Twist the bump"
Take pine cone and put it between the palms of the baby. Ask the child to spin the bump (like a wheel) in different directions for about 2-3 minutes.
2. "Roll the bump"
First, the exercise is performed with one fir cone, then - with two. Rotate the bumps between your palms for 1-3 minutes.
3. "Catch a bump"
Take any bump. Ask the child to throw it up with both hands, and then catch it with both hands as well. After the baby has mastered this exercise, you can complicate it: toss and catch the bump with one hand; throw a bump with your right hand, and catch it with your left - and vice versa. The duration of the exercise is 2 minutes.
4. "Walnut"
Roll the nut in the palm of your right hand, then back side palms of the left hand. The duration of the exercise is approximately 3 minutes.
5. "Sprinkle nuts"
Pour a handful of hazelnuts from one hand to the other. The duration of the exercise is 1-2 minutes.
6. "Nuts on a tray"
Place a handful of hazelnuts on a tray. Roll the nuts with the palms of your hands and the backs of your hands. The duration of the exercise is 1-2 minutes.
7. "Grains"
Here you can use a variety of cereals: buckwheat, rice, millet, etc. And the exercises can also be very different: squeeze the grains in a fist, pour them from one hand to another, mix in a deep bowl, etc. The duration of each exercise is 3 minutes.
8. "Affectionate feather"
Draw the pen across the surface of the palms and the back of the child's hands. The duration of the exercise is 3 minutes.
Working with plasticine
Here you will need several copies of the figures in this section. This will allow your baby to acquire the skill of accurately working with plasticine. You can arrange an exhibition of his best works.
Ekaterina Rakitina
Dr. Dietrich Bonhoeffer Klinikum, Germany
Reading time: 4 minutes
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Article last updated: 01/23/2017
The development of fine motor skills should go as early as possible. From the earliest years. While your baby is a baby, he needs to massage his hands and fingers. Thus, you will have an effect on those points that have a direct connection with the brain. While your little one is early and younger preschool age must be done absolutely simple exercises. Accompany the exercises with fun rhymes. So it will be much more interesting for your children. Fine motor skills develop in the study of fastening and unbuttoning buttons, while tying shoelaces. As your child gets older, developing fine motor skills should be the most important step in getting kids ready for school. The main skill is preparing hands for writing.
It is very important to develop fine motor skills of hands and fingers of children. In the cortex of our brain there are centers that are responsible for different skills. And the centers that are responsible for fine motor skills of the hands and fingers are very close to other centers. For example, to the centers responsible for the speech of children. Thus, when certain centers are activated, you also activate neighboring centers.
Therefore, parents of children should clearly understand the importance of such exercises.
Exercises for the development of fine motor skills:
- Fill a deep plate with water and pour some clean grains or sand into it.
The kid needs to put his hands on the plate and try to stir the cereal in the water for several minutes. Next, change the contents of the plate. And again, let the child stir its contents. After a few minutes, change the contents again to another cereal. After the exercise is over, invite the child to close their eyes and identify each content by touch.
- The next exercise deals with the identification of various objects, large and small, letters and if your child is already familiar with numbers, then numbers can be used. Large figures put in front of the child and give him time to carefully feel the shapes. Then the child must repeat the contour of the figure with the fingers. With the fingers of the left hand, draw on the represented figure in the palm of the right hand and then change hands. Objects should be felt with both the left and right hand.
- Sculpt with a child from plasticine. Letters, numbers, figures. Talk about what you are doing during the process.
- Give your child one pencil and take the other. Roll the pencil in your hands, from top to bottom, so that the pencil touches each finger.
- Exercise while drawing. Draw a maze for the child and invite them to draw a line with a pencil to the exit of their maze. Make the contour outlines of the shapes (circles, squares, etc.) and invite the baby to outline them as accurately and directly as possible.
- Especially useful exercises for the development of fine motor skills of the fingers of children are exercises with small objects. Such as beads, buttons, clothespins. Children love to play with grains. Pour it from one dish to another. Draw with your fingers on the scattered groats. But remember that such exercises require clear attention from parents. Make sure that small objects do not get into the child's mouth.
- The next exercise is to develop fine motor skills. Give your child several types of combs. Comb, massage, round comb. Let the baby run his fingers over them, feel the difference between the teeth (large / small, round / flat, sharp / rounded). And at the end of the exercise, he will definitely comb his hair.
Be sure to allow your hands to be touched and examined. Play with children in finger games, accompanying them with funny counting rhymes. Let the kid learn to thread the laces through the holes on his children's shoes. Help him go through these steps. The desire of children to be like adults will help him develop concentration.
The development of fine motor skills should come first. Since many children have a strong lag in development, as a result.
By the age of 4-5, the child should be able to tie shoelaces, sculpt complex shapes from plasticine. By the age of 6, the baby should already sew on a button on his own. Fingers should confidently hold a pencil or pen and already be able to write something.
Developing general motor skills
Exercise can boost your kids' energy. Steps help you learn own body and increase the sensitivity of the fingers.
- We do ear massage. Let the child pinch the lobe of his ear with two fingers and gradually massage it. In this case, you need to move from the bottom up and in the opposite direction.
- Massage your fingers. With the fingers of one hand, massage each finger and palm.
- We do a head massage. Bend your fingers slightly and stroke yourself on the head with gentle massage movements. Start from the crown to the ears.
- Lay the child on his back and stretch his arms up. Now, in turn, name the part of the body (arm, leg, head), and the child should lift up what you name. It would be better if you go through these steps together.
- Squeeze the handles into fists and unclench. Then, bend the handles at the elbows, open. Repeat the exercise constantly repeating the pace.
Gross motor development
Such exercises allow you to develop sensory skills, feel the limits of your body and learn to control it.
- Lie on your back. Close your legs together, stretch your arms up. Make a transition to left side, then return to the starting position and roll to the right side.
- Remain in the supine position. Raise your legs and wrap your arms around them. Let go. Do a few repetitions. Make sure that the child does not have sudden movements and there are no strong blows when returning to the starting position.
- Also lying on your back raise first left hand and try to write a small sentence in the air. Then also with the other hand.
- For the next exercise, we need a board and chalk. If you don't have them handy, you can use a sheet of paper and pencils. Give your child chalk or pencils in both hands. The kid should try to write something at the same time with both hands.
- Take a few small and miscellaneous items. The child must close his eyes. Place one or more items in your baby's hand. The kid must squeeze his hand and guess the number and shape of objects. Then change the items and their quantity. Alternate hands.
- Take a seated position on the floor. Start bending and unbending your knees. Then you need to do this by alternating legs and again together. Take each leg back in turn.
The development of both small and gross motor skills is very important for all children. Many people have a question - How did they develop motor skills in other times ?. Thanks to the tools at hand. Now many parents are trying to buy children's shoes with Velcro, so as not to waste time on lacing. Although it is very helpful. As you can see from the exercises above. Girls should try to do what mom does. If mom does laundry, you can give a small handkerchief so that the baby develops this skill if she shows interest in this. iterate over different types croup. Boys are very interested in doing what fathers do. Understand small details, assemble and disassemble constructors. Explore the contents of a subject. Give your children cutlery as early as possible so that they can try to eat on their own and learn how to properly hold cutlery.
Why develop fine motor skills in a child
fine motor skills are the movements of the fingers and hands. The development of the child's brain, including those of its centers that are responsible for speech, is directly related to the development of fine motor skills. As the great teacher V.A. Sukhomlinsky, "the mind of a child is at the tips of his fingers."
When a child is born, the movements of his hands are chaotic, but a couple of months pass, and the child begins to consciously control them when he grabs and holds an object in his hands. 
This is a very important stage in the development of the child, since by stimulating the baby to manipulate objects, we help him develop the so-called "". Thus, on how well fine motor skills developed in the child, depends on it intellectual development as well as his speech. It has been proven that children with well-developed fine motor skills speak better, are able to think logically and express themselves, they have good memory and vocabulary.
Games for the development of fine motor skills
There are a huge number of games for the development of fine motor skills. Let's divide them into several groups.
Finger games, finger gymnastics
finger games- This special exercises for fingers and hands, which are usually accompanied by rhymes, songs or performed to rhythmic music.
What happens when a child does finger gymnastics?
1. Performing exercises and rhythmic finger movements inductively leads to excitation in the speech centers of the brain and a sharp increase in the coordinated activity of the speech zones, which ultimately stimulates the development of speech.
2. Finger games create a favorable emotional background, develop the ability to imitate an adult, teach to listen and understand the meaning of speech, increase the child's speech activity.
3. Children learn to concentrate their attention and distribute it correctly,
4. If the child performs the exercises correctly, accompanying them with short poetic lines, then his speech will become more clear, rhythmic, vivid, and control over the movements performed will increase.
5. The child's memory develops as he learns to memorize certain hand positions and sequences of movements.
6. Children develop imagination and fantasy. Having mastered all the exercises, he will be able to “tell with his hands” whole stories.
7. As a result of mastering all the exercises, the hands and fingers acquire strength, good mobility and flexibility, and this will further facilitate mastering the skill of writing.
20 games for the development of fine motor skills
"Fun Glove": sew curly buttons in the form of various objects to a child's glove, and invite the child to play with the heroes of this glove, say hello to them or go on a trip.
"Buttons on a Hook": invite the child with one hand to collect the buttons in some container using a crochet hook. Make sure he doesn't help himself with his other hand!
"Sea Pebbles": you will need pictures depicting silhouettes of objects and pebbles for decorating an aquarium. Invite the child to lay out the outline of the object with “sea pebbles”. You can arrange a competition: who will lay out the pattern more accurately and faster.
"stringing beads": the child strings beads, buttons, bottle caps on laces and ropes of various sizes.
"Wrappers": the child winds cords or braid on sewing spools, although other objects, such as pencils, can be used for this purpose.
"The knot will be tied": we offer the baby to tie a knot on a cord, braid or ribbon. and then walk on them with your fingers and “step over” obstacles.
"Adventure Board": you will need a wooden board with various locks, switches, latches fixed on it. Invite your child to go on a journey and overcome all the difficulties that come along the way. To do this, you need to open or click the items located on the board.
"Cartoons from porridge": pour out semolina on a plate, and let the child draw on it different patterns and items, characters from your favorite cartoons.
"Bean Hide and Seek": fill a plastic container with beans and bury objects of various textures in there, and the child must find them.
"Bear clubfoot": invite the child to roll cones, acorns, chestnuts in his hands. You can play sorting by asking the kid to treat Mishka first with cones, then acorns, then chestnuts.
"Magic Clothespins": take clothespins and invite your child to dress up a Christmas tree, put needles on a hedgehog, make rays of the sun.
"Funny worm": This is a lacing game that has many variations. You can buy special laces that are sold in educational toy stores, or you can, for example, take grates for shells, cut them in half and thread the string through the holes of the grate, inventing a fairy tale about what happened to the worm along the way.
"Finger Paths": you will need potholders with tracks from different materials: braid, buttons, sequins. The child needs to hold different fingers from object to object. It is good to pronounce some kind of rhyme while the fingers “walk” along the paths.
"Twist-Twist": Attach baby juice cups to the board and let your child open and close the lids.
"Enchanted Water": make figured ice and ask the child to “disenchant” some water.
Cinderella: Pour peas, rice and buckwheat into a plastic container so that the cereals are mixed. Invite the child to race to collect cereals.
"Twisting-spinning": invite the baby to spin the top. You can play for speed: who will spin longer.
"Rubber bands": you will need a wooden board with buttons stuffed on it and elastic bands: for hair or stationery. The child must pull the rubber bands on the buttons. You can make various patterns and tracks.
"Massage Balls": you will need balls from different materials, elastic bands with buttons (sew an elastic band in the form of a ring, and then decorate it with a baby button), massage wire rings. Invite the child to examine the balls, roll them in the palms, between the fingers, “put on a bracelet” - roll the ball around the wrist, put on and remove the wire ring on each finger of the hand, put rubber bands on two fingers of one hand and try to move and spread the fingers.
"On a visit to the water": invite the child to collect water with a pipette from a small container and pour it into another.
How to develop fine motor skills at home
In order to develop fine motor skills in a child, it is not at all necessary to buy expensive manuals and newfangled educational toys - you can just do household chores with your child! True, you should not expect from a child that once he has done something around the house with you, he will immediately do it periodically and with pleasure, and there is no need to wait for any special results either. And you just need to play and enjoy it.
Here is an approximate (far from complete!) list of things to do that will help develop fine motor skills in everyday life:
1. Remove the skin from vegetables cooked in their skins. Peel hard-boiled eggs. Peel tangerines.
2. Dismantle the splintered walnuts(kernels from shells). Peel pistachios. Peel off the film from roasted nuts.
3. Collect specks from the floor. Help collect objects scattered on the floor (buttons, cloves, beans, beads).
4. Sculpt cookies from dough. Sculpt decorations for the cake from marzipan mass.
5. Open the mailbox with a key.
6. Try to dress yourself. As well as undressing and undressing. To do this, some of the shoes and clothes should be available to the child so that he can dress up whenever he wants. Learn to put on your own gloves. Try lacing up your sneakers.
7. Help winding threads or rope into a ball (It’s better to keep silent about who unwound them 🙂)
8. Shine shoes for the whole family with a special sponge.