Fine motor baby activities help the little ones develop their fine motor skills, hand dexterity and co-ordination. They encourage creative thinking and problem solving in children from a reasonably early age, too. Here are 5 fine motor activities for babies that you can start as soon as they start sitting up! However, please monitor the babies during their playtime to avoid choking hazards.
Soft ball in trays
Buy a dozen soft-to-feel balls that babies can easily lift. Provide your baby with the soft balls on a tray along with a large baking tray that has many mini-molds or an ice cube tray. Allow your baby to transfer the soft balls to the trays one after another. This activity for babies will help them develop pincer grip and hand dexterity.
Sticks in jars
Lay out a bunch of Popsicle sticks on a flat surface. Hand over a transparent (but, unbreakable) jar to your child and ask her to transfer the Popsicle sticks into the jar one by one. If you have a rough estimate of the number of sticks that can fit in the jar, then lay out exactly that many sticks. Later, pose it as a challenge to the baby to fit in all the sticks in the jar. This ‘sticks in jar’ baby activity is great for developing pincer grip and hand-eye co-ordination.
Cork satay
You will need a handful of corks in two sizes, small and a little bigger than the small ones, and a few toothpicks. Closely monitor this activity as it involves the babies using toothpicks. Pierce a bigger size cork with the toothpick and then follow it up with a smaller sized cork. Help her make many such ‘cork satay’ and lay them out on a tray for dinner! Encourage kids in the role-play game and help them improve their hand-eye coordination and other fine motor skills.
Warm or cold
Please be sure to use ice cubes that do not pose choking hazard and provide constant supervision during the activity. Place your baby in a high chair and give her a bowl with a couple of ice cubes to explore. If they are a little hesitant to touch the ice cubes initially, demonstrate how to touch them or rattle them in the container to get their attention to the fun. Once they start touching the ice cubes, they will be thrilled by the sensation! Next, fill up a tub with lukewarm water and place your baby in it. Hand over the bowl with the ice cubes to her and encourage her to continue to touch the cold objects and the warm water. Aren’t they fascinated by the sensations?
Maze with yarn
Make a maze with yarn from one wall to another – make chairs, tables, or wall hooks as the suspension points, maybe? Make sure the maze is at your child’s level so that she’s comfortable playing with it while sitting down as well as standing up. Set her down next to the yarn and let her discover the maze by herself. Show her how to wiggle the yarn, bounce it up and down, strum it, and more! Help her improve her tactile senses and problem solving skills with this baby activity.
If you’re a parent, crèche trainer, or a baby sitter looking for ways to engage babies with fulfilling activities that will also teach them a few skills, feel free to borrow, share and demonstrate the baby activities above!
Buy a dozen soft-to-feel balls that babies can easily lift. Provide your baby with the soft balls on a tray along with a large baking tray that has many mini-molds or an ice cube tray. Allow your baby to transfer the soft balls to the trays one after another. This activity for babies will help them develop pincer grip and hand dexterity.
Sticks in jars
Lay out a bunch of Popsicle sticks on a flat surface. Hand over a transparent (but, unbreakable) jar to your child and ask her to transfer the Popsicle sticks into the jar one by one. If you have a rough estimate of the number of sticks that can fit in the jar, then lay out exactly that many sticks. Later, pose it as a challenge to the baby to fit in all the sticks in the jar. This ‘sticks in jar’ baby activity is great for developing pincer grip and hand-eye co-ordination.
Cork satay
You will need a handful of corks in two sizes, small and a little bigger than the small ones, and a few toothpicks. Closely monitor this activity as it involves the babies using toothpicks. Pierce a bigger size cork with the toothpick and then follow it up with a smaller sized cork. Help her make many such ‘cork satay’ and lay them out on a tray for dinner! Encourage kids in the role-play game and help them improve their hand-eye coordination and other fine motor skills.
Warm or cold
Please be sure to use ice cubes that do not pose choking hazard and provide constant supervision during the activity. Place your baby in a high chair and give her a bowl with a couple of ice cubes to explore. If they are a little hesitant to touch the ice cubes initially, demonstrate how to touch them or rattle them in the container to get their attention to the fun. Once they start touching the ice cubes, they will be thrilled by the sensation! Next, fill up a tub with lukewarm water and place your baby in it. Hand over the bowl with the ice cubes to her and encourage her to continue to touch the cold objects and the warm water. Aren’t they fascinated by the sensations?
Maze with yarn
Make a maze with yarn from one wall to another – make chairs, tables, or wall hooks as the suspension points, maybe? Make sure the maze is at your child’s level so that she’s comfortable playing with it while sitting down as well as standing up. Set her down next to the yarn and let her discover the maze by herself. Show her how to wiggle the yarn, bounce it up and down, strum it, and more! Help her improve her tactile senses and problem solving skills with this baby activity.
If you’re a parent, crèche trainer, or a baby sitter looking for ways to engage babies with fulfilling activities that will also teach them a few skills, feel free to borrow, share and demonstrate the baby activities above!