55+ Ways to Strengthen Fine Motor Skills at Home

Inside: It’s easy to strengthen fine motor skills at home with toddlers and preschoolers. I’ve put together over 55 fun activities that your kids will love!

Fine motor development is an important part of the toddler and early childhood years. In order to learn how to draw and write, the hands must be strong enough to hold writing tools.

Fine motor is also necessary for independence. Think about zipping a coat, buttoning pants, opening a door, getting a glass of water. These all require fine muscle control.

Bonus: I’ve created a free printable checklist for you to download. Scroll down towards bottom of this page for the link.

Add basters to a tub of water or the bathtub.

Transfer water to an ice cube tray.

Squeeze watercolors on a vertical surface.

Use dot markers on a white board.

Use cut straws to make a necklace.

Thread beads onto pipe cleaners.

Pick up plastic caps with tongs.

Paint with Q-Tips.

Press small items onto sticky paper.

Squeeze playdough through the holes of a citrus or garlic press.

Press circle stickers onto the letters of your name. (Busy Toddler)

Thread beads on matching colored feathers. (The OT Toolbox)

Sort cereal by color and transfer the pieces with tweezers. (The Resourceful Mama)

Place buttons on drawn lines and zigzags. (Learning 4 Kids)

Drop pom poms through a cardboard tube. (The Imagination Tree)

Use gloves while putting pieces together. (Stir the Wonder)

Hammer tees into styrofoam blocks. (Modern Preschool)

Transfer blocks to a muffin tin using a spatula. (Busy Toddler)

Use a hole punch with paper. (The Resourceful Mama)

Push sticks through holes. (Playdough to Plato)

Thread pasta with straws. (Laughing Kids Learn)

Wrap rubber bands around cut pool noodles. (And Next Comes L)

Pick up small plastic animals and match them. (Inspiration Laboratories)

Color on sandpaper. (I Can Teach My Child)

Drop watercolors onto coffee filters using a medicine dropper. (Messy Little Monster)

Push pipe cleaners through holes in a cardboard box. (The OT Toolbox)

Cut paper for a fun decoupage activity. (Mama Smiles)

Make patterns while pounding golf tees. (Buddy and Buddy)

Draw in colored sand. (Buggy and Buddy)

Practice cutting skills with these free printable patterns. (Fun with Mama)

Use different tools to drop pom poms. (Crafty Kids at Home)

Count and smash playdough. (Stir the Wonder)

Use a water pistol for painting outdoors. (Messy Little Monster)

Drop colored rock salt into a jar to make a rainbow. (KC Edventures)

Tie a knot. (HOAWG)

Use the thumb to press beads into playdough. (The OT Toolbox)

Create a pouring station. (Busy Toddler)

Drop Beads through the holes in the lid of a jar. (Modern Preschool)

Stretch rubber bands around pine cones. (The Imagination Tree)

Balance pom poms on cut pool noodles using tweezers. (Learning 4 Kids)

Build a sponge tower. (Toddler Approved)

Push Q-Tips through cut straw pieces. (Mess for Less)

Pinch clothespins on a basket. (School Time Snippets)

Stack foam blocks in water. (Still Playing School)

Draw on tinfoil that is covered with shaving cream. (Pocket of Preschool)

Drop pony beads onto small sticks. (School Time Snippets)

Put rubber bands around the bottom of a muffin tin. (And Next Comes L)

Squeeze and drop watercolors from pipettes onto colored dots. (You Clever Monkey)

More Fine Motor Resources

You’ve asked about these particular subjects, so here they are:

Vestibular Activities (The OT Toolbox)

What is Tactile Defensiveness (Touch Sensitivity)? (Griffin Occupational Therapy)

Stages of Pencil Grasp Development (OT Mom)

Free Printable Fine Motor List

Click on the photo below for the pdf download: