Motor Skill Development

Fishing for Colors Activity for an individual child Age group: 30-40 months Duration of activity: 20 minutes Materials: 1 smooth stick or dowel rod 1 piece of string 2 feet long Small magnet Colored construction paper Scissors Paper clips This f...

Toe Wrestling Activity for two players Age group: 30-40 months Duration of activity: 10 minutes This lively game will help your child develop motor skills and balance. It is recommended that one of the players be an older child or adult who can ...

How can you tell whether your child's tiptoe walking is just a habit or indicates of a problem? ...

Print out and use this checklist to help in an initial diagnosis of Asperger's syndrome in your child. You can find more checklists on Asperger's syndrome here. ...

Fun Sign LanguageDirections Involve your child in making up signals with their hands, arms, and fingers. Each signal should stand for a word or expression. Keep it simple and see how many your child can come up with and remember. This could becom...

Tweezers and TongsMaterials Tweezers Kitchen tongs Variety of small and very small objects Empty egg cartonsDirectionsSelect various objects that require children to use tongs or tweezers to pick them up. Examples are: cereal, cut-up raw vegetabl...

Fine-Motor CoordinationFine-motor coordination involves the ability to control the small muscles of the body and is usually defined as the ability to coordinate the action of the eyes and hands together in performing precise manipulative movement...

Yoga ToadDirectionsPractice this activity with your child until you both perfect it. Squat on your heels and balance. Put the palms of your hands on the floor. How long can you balance there? Help by holding your child's hips up. Take small hops ...

Freeze and MeltDirections Have your child run freely around the space. When you say freeze or clap your hands, she must stop and remain absolutely still. When you say melt, your child can relax and start to move around again. Continue freezing an...

Let's Move!Directions:At an early age, children associate how they move to words that describe the movements they make. For example: run, lie down, stand up, walk. This activity will help your child build his movement vocabulary. Practice the fo...

Kindergarten Prep: Cutting with ScissorsIt is most likely that you will find scissors on the "back-to-school" shopping list. You will want to select a good pair of child-sized scissors that your child can hold comfortably in his hand and that wi...

Three to Six Years: Dietary and Developmental HighlightsAround three, children become increasingly social, more independent, and even more fun to be with than they were before. Preschoolers are particularly playful people who can be quite jovial ...

String AlongTime 5 to 10 minutes Materials Hand-sized objectsA piece of thick yarn 2 to 3 feet long Directions Something as simple as grabbing for a toy helps to teach your baby how to control the environment. Tie the object or toy to one end o...

In the SlotTime 10 to 15 minutes Materials Poker chipsEmpty coffee can with plastic lidScissors or knife Directions This activity challenges emerging fine motor skills and requires that your child sit still and work patiently. Cut a 2 by 1/4-inch...

Kindergarten Prep: Name WritingThe step following mark-making is letter writing, creating symbols that are recognizable to you and to your child. Young children often make the most progress writing the letters in their name before writing any ot...

Spaghetti Pick-UpTime 5 to 10 minutes Materials Pieces of cooked spaghetti (for babies who are able to eat finger foods) Directions Many babies will stick to this activity until they succeed. Place a few strands of the cooked spaghetti in front o...

Busy FingersTime 5 to 10 minutes Materials Handful of unsweetened cereal pieces Directions This is an old stand-by but one that requires intense concentration with a built-in reward. It helps the baby to develop hand-eye coordination that is nee...

Walk My WalkTime 15 to 20 minutes Materials None Directions Take turns challenging each other to walk like a particular person might, such as a tightrope walker, astronaut on the moon, window washer on a high ledge, old person, baby learning to ...