Children learn about objects and their use through functional play. They use toys or objects in the way in which they are intended. They will roll a ball and stack blocks.
This type of play can also be described as manipulative play. A child uses their hands to manipulate toys and objects to learn about how to use them. This includes construction play, arts and crafts and tool-use (e.g. scissors) and helps to develop eye-hand co-ordination.
Manipulative Play in the early stages is about learning to use your hands. Fine motor skills develop through a number of different stages from sensory awareness to in-hand manipulation and tool-use. These skills are essential for the development of other activities of daily living. Below are some play activities to help your child develop these essential skills.
Reach, grasp and release are fundamental fine motor skills. It is important to develop these skills early as they are building blocks to complex fine motor skills and participation in activities of daily living which develop later.
Reach & Grasp
The development of reach and grasp is influenced by a child’s growing interest in objects and desire to attain them.
Release
Children love to place objects into containers and empty them out! This helps them to develop their release skills and refine their eye-hand coordination skills.
Finger isolation is an important stage in the development of grasp. It is the ability to move certain fingers apart from the rest of the hand/fingers.
When children begin using their hands, all fingers move together at the same time. As they grow and develop, they gain the ability to move individual fingers. It helps with being able to fasten and unfasten buttons, hold and control a pencil for drawing and writing, cut with scissors, type on a keyboard, play a musical instrument, tie shoelaces, and many other daily living skills.
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There are a range of free Apps for Apple and Android that can help your child with finger isolation:
Being able to pick up small items between your thumb and index finger is an important stage in the development of hand function.
A pincer grasp is used to hold a pencil, thread a button through a hole and pick up coins.
Click here for activity ideas for early years. The activity sheet has a homemade recipe for playdough for you to make with your child.
Please be aware that playdough (both shop bought and homemade) may contain wheat. Make sure you use a wheat free alternative if there is a known wheat allergy.
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An important stage in the development of fine motor skills is the development of bilateral hand use.
This is the use of two hands together to grasp and manipulate objects.
This stage of development starts with bringing the hands together in the middle and develops to using one hand as the dominant hand and the other as a helping hand.
Click here for activity ideas for early years and click here for activity ideas for older children.
Construction play involves manipulating one or more pieces of play materials to create something new. This may involve a variety of methods – stacking, sticking, putting together, taking things apart, sorting or moulding, to name a few.
Construction play develops all types of skills and behaviours;
Children learn to write at school but there are lots of things they need to do first. It is important for them to have strong bodies and arms. They need to have strong hands and fingers. They need to be able to make marks and draw. They need to see letters and words around them. They need to see you write in every day life.
Please be aware that playdough (both shop bought and homemade) may contain wheat. Make sure you use a wheat free alternative if there is a known wheat allergy.
Taking part in art and craft activities can help your child in many ways. Arts and crafts activities can help to develop your child’s imagination and creativity, their planning and organisation skills and fine motor skills.
There are benefits to using technology both for play and learning. Using technology can help with creativity, problem solving, visual thinking and can make learning fun. Using the right kind of technology/games/activities can support the development of your child’s learning and skills, including fine motor skills, letter/number/shape/colour recognition, eye-hand co-ordination, reading, writing, planning, problem solving etc.
Click on the links for more information for parents/carers in relation to internet safety and also more information on using IT in education.