Playway Tricks To Improve The Motor Skills Of Your Little One
As your toddler reaches the school-going age, skill development should be on top of your mind. Gross and fine motor skills are the most crucial for the little ones. They enable the child to practice and perfect coordination of large body movements and small movements of hands and fingers. Although these skills sound simple, teaching them takes a lot of effort. The best way to do it is through play because it enables them to practice and improve every day without the stress of learning. Here are some play-way tricks you can rely on for improving the motor skills of your little one.
Start with play-dough
Tactile play with play-dough does more than keep kids busy and boost creativity. It also helps with developing motor skills from an early age. Creating objects with play-dough opens them to practice actions such as squeezing, stretching, and pinching. Moreover, it enables them to exercise their minds to create unique objects and shapes. Pounding, twisting, rolling, and kneading actions build muscles in their hands and fingers.
Introduce puzzles
Like play-dough, puzzles help with the holistic development of young children. Scheduling puzzle time daily with them is an excellent idea. Kids develop a pincer grasp as they pick and move pieces into place. You can begin with simple puzzles and move to more complex ones as your little one gets comfortable with handling the puzzle pieces. This play way method also enhances their hand-eye skills and coordination.
Try a skill toy
A skill toy is the best gift you can buy for your kids as they grow up. A yo-yo is a good option for enhancing movements and hand-eye coordination. You can give them a kendama that sharpens the whole-body movements and ramps up both gross and fine motor skills. Your child can begin with these toys at an early age (around five years) and get better over the years. They can continue playing with skill toys even as adults.
Encourage drawing and painting
Encourage your little ones to draw and paint as these artistic endeavors make them more creative and help them develop fine motor skills. Picking up crayons or colored pencils and holding them makes them work hard as beginners. Your child will have to invest even more effort while learning to color or paint within squares and circles. Let them try more techniques like freehand finger painting and seashell painting.
Explore lacing beads
Lacing beads can be a fun activity for young children as they can learn the alphabet and colors with beads. You can even try them to teach math skills with counting and adding. The play-way method also works as a multi-sensory technique for developing motor skills. You can stock up on beads with different shapes, sizes, colors, and patterns to make them interesting for the little ones. Start as a preschool activity, and carry it forward to teach alphabet and calculations.
Research indicates that play way is the best way to teach and learn. You can start with early education at home with these tried-and-tested educational activities.
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