Welcome back to the Kinder Club blog! Each week we will focus on an early literacy concept and share fun stories, activities and tips to help reinforce a variety of kindergarten readiness skills.
This week’s concept is fine motor skills!
Fine motor skills involve the use of the small muscles in our hands, wrists, fingers, feet and toes. Strengthening the muscles in your fingers and hands will help you with writing/drawing, using scissors and tying your shoes.
Let’s warm up our finger and hand muscles by doing a few fingerplays. Do you remember the song Baby Shark by Pinkfong? When you would sing and do the various shark movements, you were strengthening all those little muscles in your hands and fingers. Click on the Pinkfong video below and follow along to some of their other fingerplays.
Now that you have exercised your finger and hand muscles, you deserve a little break! Click on the video below to listen to Mrs. K. share a story about everything we can do with our hands and some fun fine motor skill activities that you can do at home to continue strengthening those little muscles that help you turn the pages of a book, get dressed and build with LEGOS!
Mrs. K. shared so many great activities to do at home. What else could you do? How about using chopsticks to eat your dinner, counting the change in your piggy bank or doing a puzzle together for family game night? For even more ideas, visit our Free Play blog.
If you picked up a Kinder Club practice packet from the library, have fun completing this week’s activities and stay tuned for our next activity post.
Kindergarten Readiness Tip: Spend the week strengthening those little, but important fine motor muscles by trying the activities below. These are just suggestions, if you do not have the materials at home, just try something else. And remember it is okay to make mistakes and ask for help.
Monday – Magnetic letters or refrigerator magnets
Tuesday – Tape (see ideas below)
Wednesday – Weaving (see ideas below)
Thursday – Tearing and/or folding scrap paper (newspapers, ads, construction paper for crafts)
Friday – Finger painting (if you don’t want to use paint, you can get creative and use shaving cream or chocolate pudding!)
Saturday – Spaghetti or other pasta noodles (see ideas below)
Sunday – Stacking blocks, cups or boxes
