Handwriting is an essential skill for success throughout schooling. It is, however, a very complex skill. Factors contributing to handwriting difficulties include poor visual memory, especially visual sequential memory, inadequate instruction, and poor fine and gross motor skills.
Gross motor skills involve large muscle groups and large movements. Fine motor skills include small, precise wrist, hand, and finger movements. This article lists the top three activities for fine motor skills development, as well as the top three activities for gross motor skills development.
Fine motor skills
1. Playdough play
- What it develops: Hand strength, finger control, coordination
- Activities: Rolling, pinching, squishing, cutting with plastic tools
- Why it’s great: It’s fun, sensory-rich, and builds muscles needed for handwriting and object manipulation.
2. Bead stringing or lacing
- What it develops: Precision, bilateral coordination, hand-eye coordination
- Activities: Threading beads onto a string, lacing cards
- Why it’s great: Encourages focus and control while using both hands in a coordinated way.
3. Cutting with scissors
- What it develops: Grip strength, hand stability, visual-motor integration
- Activities: Cutting along lines, shapes, or simple crafts
- Why it’s great: Builds control and independence while refining hand movements.
Gross motor skills
1. Wall push-ups
- What it develops: Upper body strength and posture
- Activity: The child stands an arm’s length from the wall and performs push-ups against it
- Why it’s great: Builds shoulder stability and core strength, which are essential for steady hand control during writing
2. Animal walks (bear walk, crab walk, frog jumps)
- What it develops: Full-body coordination, strength, and crossing the midline
- Activity: Kids move across the room, mimicking different animal movements
- Why it’s great: Encourages body awareness, bilateral coordination, and trunk control—all needed for seated stability when writing.
3. Cross-crawls
- What it develops: Midline crossing and brain-body integration
- Activity: While standing, children touch their right elbow to left knee and vice versa in a rhythmic pattern
- Why it’s great: Supports left-right brain communication, aiding in motor planning and spatial awareness crucial for letter formation.
