Fine motor activities to encourage the development of a good pencil grip are largely strengthening exercizes, and most fall into the following 2 categories:
1. Activities to strengthen the muscles that hold your body up, and control the arm.
2. Activities to strengthen the muscles that control drawing movements, and those that grip the pencil.
FINE MOTOR ACTIVITIES
with Clay
* Encourage squashing, poking, rolling, squeezing, pinching (whole hand/ individual fingers)
* Roll small balls and then pinch between thumb and index finger.
* Roll out snakes with two hands, cut up with knife and fork or scissors.
*create pinch pot by using thumb and pointer finger.
* Roll out long snakes and form shapes, circle, triangle, square etc and numbers or letters.
* Make faces, a big flat circle and then roll balls for eyes, cut up spikey pieces for hair.
* Make a pizza, break apart pieces for pretend toppings, mushrooms, cheese, olives whatever you like and cut up with plastic knife
* Make a scary monster. Poke eye holes, pinch spikey hair, make a big long tongue and sharp teeth.
* See how many balls you can roll and sit on top of each other!
Benefits: These fine motor activities can encourage and improve the strength of pencil holding muscles- the thumb and index fingers in particular and the middle finger. It may help to improve muscle tone (low tone fingers may tire more easily and can appear floppier). It can be a two-handed activity and can be used to practice some life skills such as cutting up with plastic knife and fork or scissors. The activity can help with dexterity skills and in-hand coordination and It can be lots of fun!
