Fine Motor Skills
You notice your child is not using the correct pen grab, how do you prompt them to change?
Show them the proper way to hold the pen and suggest different learning techniques to remember.
Example: Tripod Pencils, Holding something against their hand with the ring and pinky finger while writing, picking up small things with tweezers, repetition
You and your child are crossing the street, how do you teach your child the proper street crossing etiquette?
Asking the child every time, what we do when we cross the street and then let the kids demonstrate this technique while you follow.
Looking for cars, Left, Right and Left again. Quickly and quietly crossing the street.
You're helping your child tidy up his/her bedroom, how can you make this into a sorting based activity for your child?
toys from clothes
one type of toy from another and putting them where they belong
You and your child are playing in the garden with a ball. What are some good activities you can do together?
Hand Eye Co-ordination!
Roll it to each other, Bounce it, Throw it to each other, kick it to each other!
What are fun ways to keep your child interested in drawing and writing?
Change it up! Offer new and different supplies, markers, pens, pencils, paint. Make it colorful! Draw WITH them!
You are reading a book to your child before bed time, how can you make it a learning experience for them?
Ask them about the the characters emotions. Ask them why they feel that the character possibly feels those emotions. Have them look at the pictures of their faces and identify those certain emotions.
Try and not answer for them. Pose the question and wait for their brains to do the work.
You're grocery shopping with your child and want to keep them engaged, what are a few ways of doing this?
Letting them help gather the needed groceries
Telling them the things you must buy and having them lead the shopping experience
Asking the child in which section of the store can you find something (Where are the apples? Where would we get sugar?)
Its a rainy weekend or you're on a long road trip and your child is getting bored, what can you do to help build their spatial orientation?
Play games like Eye Spy, Simon says and Treasure Hunt! Using words like on top, under left, right and next to helps them to understand where things are and also how to explain positions to you!
You have a stack of old magazines. How do you use these to help improve your child's fine motor skills?
Give them a large poster board, scissors and glue! Make a collage and they can hang it in their room!
This also shows you the things they're interested in, and can show how they perceive themselves
Rather than drilling your child with flashcards, what are some fun ways to help your child recognize the letters in the alphabet?
Start with identifying letters in their name that are in other signs, labels, boxes etc.
Play hide and seek with refrigerator magnets
Play a game of go fish with Letter flashcards
How can you recycle old coffee tins into a fun game with your child?
Cover or paint the tins in different colours (Base colours, red, green, blue, yellow)
Make up a story or treasure hunt and have your children sort some items from the house or in their bedroom into the tins according to colour (all blue item in the blue tin, red in the red tine, etc.)
Add a twist and give them a variety of items in different colours and time them to see how quick they can sort them into the tins.
You notice your child switches hands while doing things. (Example: writing across the whole sheet)
What can you do to help?
Walk on a Rope (Heel Toe
Paint long lines across a large piece of paper
Lazy 8 race track
Rainbow drawing on the floor
Using one hand at a time to move items from left to right
You're in the kitchen and your child is constantly at your feet, asking you to play with them and not letting you cook dinner. What do you do?
Give them a knife and cutting board! Let them help you in the kitchen and improve their motor skills at the same time. I know you're often in a rush to get dinner on the table but giving them a small job will entertain them, and help them learn.
Your children are more capable than you think!!
What is a fun multi sensory activity you can do with your child to practice writing and identifying numbers without using pen, pencils and markers?
Shaving Cream in the Bathtub/Table tops
Salt/Sand/Sugar in a cake pan
Fingerpainting
Its time to learn between left and right!
What can you do?
Stickers of different colors on each hand
Hand clap Games
The Hockey Pokey
Other than drawing what are some creative things you can do with your kids to improve their fine motor skills?
Threading beads, Playdough, Ironing beads, picking up small things and putting them in bottles etc.
DAILY DOUBLE!
What is the definition of Proprioception?
What can I do to stimulate my child's proprioceptive input?
Skipping, Animal Walks, Jumping Jacks, Leap frog,
Target games (Throwing to a target!)
Proprioception: The sense o the position of their own body parts within a space and their understanding of their own strength.