When Lachlan was born, there were a few things that we noticed right away; first that he had large hands and feet which was actually the first descriptive word I heard the mid-wife say after I gave birth to him. We also noticed that Lachlan was very alert. As I pulled him to my chest he was already turning his head looking at the people in the room, absorbing all the new alien surroundings. What intrigued us the most about him was his dexterity. He began wiggling his fingers and toes independently from one another right away. He could and still can move his finger in controlled ways that my brain can't even manage. I remember him at 5 months playing his toy piano moving each finger so intricately one by one. I remember talking to my mom on the phone and she asked if Ky-Anh was playing the piano or something and I said no it was Lachlan and she was so surprised. Many children like to just pound on the piano and here I was standing there thinking that perhaps he was composing some great concerto....(of course, that's the overly hopeful and 'my child is a genius' mommy talking, I was quickly brought back to reality as I watched my 5 month old drool all over the key board just like every other child his age). Because of his dexterity though, he has always been at the top end of fine motor skills. He never really stuck with using the palmer grasp but began using a pincer grasp almost straight away. I suppose this is what has made colouring and drawing so easy for him- at 16 months of age he has already been trying to hold writing instruments with a tripod grasp, as an adult. He works very hard to try to position his fingers just right. I suppose most of it just comes naturally for him but I think his 'observer' personality; watching and dissecting every move adults and other children make help him quite a lot. He's always been the type of child who will watch very intently for an hour and continue this for a few days or up to a week and then before you know it you walk in the room and he has built the exact tower structure as you or has put dishes away in precisely the right place in our kitchen. If he accidentally puts his cutlery in his drawer upside down in the tray, he will quickly turn it so it is the same as the rest.
I've really noticed lately that his fine motor and hand-eye coordination has really blossomed over the last few months and that he hasn't been challenged by some of his current toys and materials. In many ways he's ready for pre-school aged manipulative materials; which is great for him but it also presents some safety hazards as the pieces are often not suited for an 18-month old. Fortunately since I'm at home with Lachlan during the day, I have a lot of time that I can sit down with him and go through activities. Although he's past the stage of putting everything in his mouth, you still can never trust a toddler and I would never leave him unattended with a basket of small beads for example and I have had a lot of fun experimenting with activities that give him the freedom to use his manipulative skills without me having to eagle-eye his every move---but since I'm obsessed with documenting and photographing everything, I'm generally by his side anyway!
If you would like some ideas of some fine motor or hand-eye coordination activities you can do with your tot, continue reading. I've recorded a few of the things that Lachlan and I have done the last year, or things that Lachlan has discovered doing on his own that make great exercises. I've always said before that children are the best teachers. They are their own teachers in fact. I can't tell you how many times I've noticed Lachlan create his own activity and then have turned around and used it for one of my developmental therapy patients. He's like my very own inventor and I don't even have to pay him for intellectual property rights. Not a bad deal is it?...
Try out some of these activities. They go from easy to more challenging:
1) Take a halved paper towel roll or a toilet roll and have your child practice pushing wide strips of cardboard or paper through the roll. You could even use pipe cleaners, a spoon, etc; anything that allows him to push it through and pull it out from the other side. The firmer the object is the easier it will be.
2) Take a jug or coffee container with a plastic lid and cut a hole in the lid the size of the top of a clothes pin. Allow your child to practice dropping the pins in the container. This is a much more suited beginner activity for toddlers than the shape sorters you buy at the shop which can lead to frustration for a child who is not yet ready to handle that many shapes. Allowing them to practice one shape at a time leaves them less frustrated and more willing to continue to try out the activity. It also builds their confidence as they master one shape first. You can also change out lids on the container and make one the size of a block cube or triangle, etc. Once your child has mastered the art of rotating their hands to match the shape of the slot, then introduce a multi-shape sorter game. I think you'll find it can make a word of difference.
3) At a craft store, purchase a pack of mini craft sticks. They are the size of tooth picks but squared and blunted at the ends. You will also need a large salt shaker or seasoning shaker with large round holes on the lid (like the ones you see at the movie theater that they use to pour copious amounts of salt or cheese powder on your popcorn). Check your spice cabinet you might have some wide-holed shaker lids you can use. The object is to let your child pick up the small sticks and to stick them through the holes in the lid of the shaker. This requires the use of the pincher grasp and a steady hand. It is a great exercise. Clear bottles are great so they can watch them drop through, but it is not essential.
4) Magnetic games: You can buy magnetic fishing games that have a rod with a magnet attached to the end of the string in which you 'catch' fish that have magnets on them with the rod. You can also make your own by using a wooden spoon some yarn and a magnet. You can cut out your own fish or various shapes and attach magnets or paper clips to catch them. You will just need to make sure you supervise your toddler as there will be many small parts. Show your child how to fish with the rod. The longer the sting on the rod is the more difficult it will be. To make it easier, shorten the string as much as you need. For some children you may find that they need the magnet right on the end of the rod. That is fine, they can practice picking up the fish by pressing the end of the rod onto the fish. Children with more advanced hand-eye coordination will have fun with a longer string in which you can extend as they gain control. I found with Lachlan I had to lengthen the string to the full extent after the first day we played.
5) Threading games: Use various sizes of beads or empty spools and laces or yarn and have your child practice threading them through the holes. Tape off the ends of yarn to make it easier to thread. Another great money saver is to cut out cardboard shapes, punch holes around the edges and allow your child to practice threading through the holes. In the beginning they'll zig-zag around the shape with the thread in no order and that is wonderful. The ideas is that they are able to get the string through the hole, it doesn't matter which one or what order. Having fun is all that matters. As they master this, they will then begin to copy you and thread along the cutout.
Hopefully you'll have a few ideas to get you going this week and please post any additional fun things you have to share or that your child has invented!
Using the pincer grasp is a very important milestone for young children. First attempts for infants generally occur while they are feeding; picking up a small cheerio or sultana. As infants grow and become toddlers they master picking up small items using just two fingers: the pointer and thumb. Once this is mastered, children can better use their fine motor skills to assist them with mastering hand-eye coordination. It is one thing to pick up a piece of string and a noodle or bead, it is another thing to be able to thread that noodle on the string. A major accomplishment for a young child! So nooodle art isn't just, "the same old noodle art!" It is something really amaing for a child to do. Of course, you can be more creative than noodles as we like to be in our house. You can thread card board tubes with strings, PVC piping with rope; the opportunities are endless. Just use your noodle and think up some creative ways for your child to do some manipulative work.
