35 OT Motor Skill tips

Posted by Talking Matters on 18 October 2014

During OT month we are looking at how OT's can help kids develop and succeed. One area were OT's can help kids is with developing their motor skills.

Motor skills are about movement. Gross motor skills are the ability to move our body, arms and legs while fine motor skills are the small precise movements of the hands and fingers.

Gross motor skills begin to develop before birth as the baby moves about in the womb. After birth these skills develop into the ability to roll, sit, crawl and walk, then run, jump and balance. These skills develop though out life and are dependant on the opportunities a child experiences to develop and practice these skills with each skill building on the one before and preparing the child for the next challenge. These skills are important for movement during daily activities and also for providing a stable base for children to be able to perform fine motor activities such as writing.

Fine motor skills are important for success at home, preschool and school. Fine motor skills refer to the ability to do purposeful and coordinated actions using controlled movements of the small muscles in the fingers and hands. The movements also need to coordinate with the eyes, for eye hand coordination and the larger muscles of the arms and body for stability. Children develop fine motor skills over time as they practice using their hands to do tasks and activities.

Some children may show delays in developing fine motor skills. Difficulties in developing these skills can be related to:

physical disabilities
developmental delay
cognitive or intellectual delays
sensory difficulties
lack of motivation, opportunity, practice or interest in fine motor activities
reduced hand strength
reduced attention and concentration abilities
reduced problem solving abilities
difficulty controlling, planning, sequencing and coordinating movements

So how do I know if my child is developing skills as expected for their age? Children develop skills progressively but they have spurts of development and periods where skills are consolidated and not much seems to be changing. This is a normal part of development. If you are concerned that you child is not developing as expected it is a good idea to get some advice from a trained professional.

The following is a rough guide to the typical development of motor skills in young children:

At 8 months babies can:

sit without support
move from tummy to sitting
kneel on hands and knees and rock back and forth

At 9 to 11 months babies can:

begin to crawl
pull up on furniture to standing
move from standing to sitting
sit for extended periods of time

At 12 to 14 months babies can:

clap hands and point with a finger
move objects from hand to hand
reach with a straight elbow
hold objects between a finger and thumb
pick up small items with the tip of a finger and thumb
put objects into a container
cruise around furniture holding on
begin to walk independently
climb into a small chair
pick up things off the floor
squat to play with toys
play with push & pull toys

By 18 months toddlers can:

stack two or three blocks
scribble with a crayon
turn pages in a cardboard book a few at a time
hold an object in one hand and do something to it with the other
put large pegs in a pegboard
put one to two shapes in a shape sorter
climb steps and creep backwards down stairs
walk up and down steps holding one hand
kick and throw a ball
sit on a ride a push along toy
walk and rarely fall

By 2 years toddlers can:

snip with scissors
stack three or more blocks
string a few large beads
copy circles and vertical lines
turn pages one at a time
go up and down stairs with railings
jump on the spot and jump off a step
run well and begin to pedal a tricycle

By two and a half years of age children can:

stand on one foot
climb stairs with alternating feet
walk on tip toes

At 3 years a child can:

unscrew lids
hold crayons with fingers, not fists
cut paper in half
use one hand consistently most of the time
copy simple patterns with blocks
walk and run well
hop and balance on one foot,
pedal a tricycle well

By four years children can:

walk on a narrow board
skip on alternating feet
balance on one foot for 10 seconds
catch a large ball
copy circles and crosses
stack five or more blocks
make balls, roll snakes and pinch shapes with playdough

By five years children can:

move easily between sitting, standing and squatting
sit upright in a chair
jump over things
know left and right
copy a square and triangle
use a tripod grasp with thumb and finger for pencils
button and unbutton a single button
cut along a line
stack many small blocks
colour inside the lines
write their first name
be consistently left or right handed

So how can parents encourage the development of gross motor skills? Skills develop through practice and repetition. Kids are more likely to repeat activities that are fun and where they feel supported, encouraged and successful. Focus on having a go rather than reaching perfection. Offer a variety of fun activities and follow your child's interests. Break trickier tasks down into smaller steps and allow plenty of rest breaks when needed. Remember that children develop at different rates, gently encourage but and don't push children to do things if they do not feel ready.

Here are some ideas for developing gross motor skills:

visit playgrounds for developing climbing, swinging, sliding and jumping
outdoor play for running, jumping, hopping, skipping
ball play for throwing, kicking, bouncing, rolling
play skittles or bowling,
throw balls at targets, through hoops, into boxes or baskets
put a ball into a stocking and hang it on the clothes line and hit it with a hand, bat or rolled up newspaper
outdoor games such as chasey and follow the leader
pushing, pulling and carrying such as with wheelbarrows and buckets of water
bike riding and scooters
balancing on planks, bricks, tyres, rope or masking tape lines on the floor
go for a walk, run, skip, hop
explore a local park, walk up a hill and roll down
play hide and seek
go to the beach and walk, run, swim and dig
visit a play cafe
organised activities such as kinder gym, swimming, dancing and sports
playing with balloons, kicking, punching in the air, keeping the balloon from touching the ground
make an obstacle course in the backyard
make a trail of stepping stones to balance on
bounce on a trampoline outside or a mini-tramp inside
put on some music and do some dancing
borrow or buy a kids yoga DVD and try some moves
do some stretches with a gym band
play with a giant gym ball
throw some water balloons

Children develop fine motor skills through practice with a range of activities, tools and materials. Providing your child with a range of age appropriate opportunities will allow them to develop their skills. Here are some ideas to try:

provide opportunities for craft activities such as painting, cutting and pasting, collage and stickers
provide toys which require fine movements such as building and construction sets, Lego, puzzles and threading beads
provide activities which require aiming at a target, such as throwing bean bags or rolled up socks into a container, balls at a target drawn on a wall or through a hoop
provide games such as connect four, barrel of monkeys and jenga
play with tweezers, eye droppers and squeeze bottles
play with play dough, plasticine, putty and gloop
do some cooking together, cut, roll, mix, stir and pour
play with pipe cleaners, and pegs
play with sand and water, dig, pour and build
provide a range of drawing activities such as textas and paper, chalk and blackboards, whiteboards and markers, paint or brushes and water outside.

Remember to make sure your activities are safe and suitable for your child's age and always supervise your child.

There are also lots of great activity ideas on the Talking Matters Pinterest page.

35 OT Motor Skill tips

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