A Creative Approach to Developing Fine Motor Skills

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Getting Creative

Developing fine motor skills is essential for your child’s preparation for starting school and creativity is a great way to do this! Using resources such as pens, paintbrushes, stickers and scissors really support the development of fine motor strength. In addition, creating large models and building dens helps with building up those larger muscles (gross motor strength). Taking part in creative tasks helps to develop imaginative thinking, problem solving and self-expression.

Whenever your child is producing a piece of artwork ask yourself this question before you intervene:

“Is the end product of this activity more important than the skills my child is developing by completing this themselves?” 

On most occasions it is more beneficial for your child if you can leave them to create their own piece of artwork. What they produce doesn’t need to resemble anything! Remember, skills development over final product!

SELF-CHECK: If your child’s artwork looks polished, it probably isn’t your child’s artwork!

Developing Fine Motor Skills Getting Creative Top Tips

Buy your child a pencil case and have fun filling it with loads of colouring pens, pencils, different coloured biros, highlighters, scissors, glue, you name it!

Don’t including a rubber in your child’s pencil case. Getting into the habit of rubbing out doesn’t support the development of a resilient mind set towards making mistakes and being okay with them.

Make paper and pencil cases available all of the time. Put them in a place where your child can access them whenever they like. When going on car journeys, to a restaurant or on holiday take them with you.

Save your recycling, have a junk modelling afternoon as a family.

Don’t be afraid of how much tape your child uses when junk modelling. Watch their process of getting the tape off the roll and applying it to their creation. When you take the time to watch you will notice how many skills they are developing. Buy cheap tape and don’t stress!

If you want to allow your child to experiment with paint but you don’t want too much mess introduce watercolours. You will need to teach them how to use watercolour paint (use lots of water) and then they can be quite independent whilst painting. Watercolour is great for experimenting with colour mixing, painting techniques and effects. It is a great medium to use and you can pick up a set of children’s watercolours relatively cheaply.

Developing Fine Motor Skills: Creative Idea 1 Painting

The fine motor skills that are needed to paint are the same that are necessary for writing so … get painting! Most children love to paint and you can go about it in so many different ways. Think about changing the surfaces your child paints on and the tools they use. Why not introduce these tools:

• traditional art brushes
• decorating brushes
• sponges
• hands, fingers, feet
• pipettes
• rollers
• you could even make footprints using plastic animals

Stop & Think: If the thought of getting creative (especially with paint) causes you to go into a cold sweat, then … take a breath. Read through the top tips below and take your time to answer the questions presented.

REMEMBER: You are the boss! Create your own strict set of rules / boundaries for painting. In my house most of the painting takes place outside so that I don’t ruin the activity by stressing at the kids. It means that painting is mainly a summer time activity around here, but that’s absolutely fine!

Painting Top Tips

Where are you happy for painting to take place in your house?

What clothing are you happy for your child to paint in? (My preference is in pants out in the garden!)

If your child is going to be painting on a surface that needs protecting, what are you going to use?

Communicate clearly to your child what your behaviour expectations are before you get the paints out. For example, our painting rules are: no walking around with paint brushes or painted pieces of artwork, no purposeful painting on furniture or your body.

Try to enjoy the activity and allow your child to experiment and create their own artwork.

Developing Fine Motor Skills: Creative Idea 2 Paint Face

Be creative with the canvas’ that you offer to your child. Kids love face paint (or as my little girl calls it, “paint face”) and they are even more thrilled when they get to have a go themselves. If you have a child who is reluctant when it comes to drawing or painting try face painting instead.

Allowing your child to paint your face is a great way to develop their fine motor skills. It is a really intimate activity which builds a sense of trust and is lots of fun! Remember, face paint wipes off really easily so it doesn’t matter what you end up looking like!

Developing Fine Motor Skills: Creative Idea 3 Junk Modelling

When completing a junk modelling project together think about following your child’s interests. Allow your child to make decisions regarding colour choices, shape, size etc. Even if their ideas don’t make sense to you, don’t worry about that too much. Their imaginations are amazing! The more decisions your child can make when completing a joint creative project the more empowered they will feel.

Developing Fine Motor Skills: Creative Idea 4 Canvas Art

A great way to celebrate your child’s artistic expression is to allow them to complete a more ‘permanent’ piece of artwork on a canvas. After providing opportunities for your child to draw, paint, colour or collage on paper, card and recycled materials bring out the canvas. Children’s artwork completed on canvas’ make for lovely gifts for friends and family. Working on a canvas is also a brilliant activity for when friends come over to play as they get to take a little something home with them.

Every child is an artist. The problem is how we remain an artist once we grow up.

Pablo Picasso

REMEMBER: Your child’s artwork doesn’t have to resemble anything. Process and skill over product.