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Developing Fine Motor Skills Before Starting Primary School

Developing Fine Motor Skills Before Starting Primary School

Fine motor skills are the tiny movements in your child’s hands, fingers, and wrists that make a big difference in daily life.


From gripping a pencil to fastening buttons and opening lunchboxes, these skills give children the independence and confidence they need to thrive at school. The best part?


They’re developed naturally through playful, hands-on experiences every day.


At Mindful Nurseries, we believe in nurturing these skills through natural, sustainable materials and opportunities to explore the world around us.


Here’s how you can help your little one develop fine motor skills at home, without relying on plastic toys or worksheets!


Step 1: Encourage Everyday Independence


Daily routines offer countless opportunities to build hand strength and coordination:


  • Dressing: Let your child practise zips, buttons, and poppers on their own clothing.

  • Mealtimes: Give your little one the opportunity to serve their own food, pour water or peel easy fruits like satsumas.

  • Tidying up: Ask them to collect and sort natural loose parts (pinecones, shells, wooden blocks) into baskets or trays. Or simply ask them to help clean up their room (putting books back, sorting clothes etc.)


Playdough

Step 2: Creative, Plastic-Free Play


Playtime is the perfect time to develop fine motor control, especially with open-ended, natural resources:


  • DIY Playdough: Rolling, pinching, and shaping strengthens hand muscles. Add herbs, petals, or spices for a sensory twist! Click here for a playdough recipe.

  • Threading & Weaving: Use chunky wooden beads, dried pasta for a threading activity (click here for inspo) or weave with wool and a wooden frame (click here for inspo).

  • Loose Parts Play: Offer baskets of pebbles, shells, wooden discs, or seed pods for stacking, sorting, and pattern-making.


Step 3: Early Mark-Making in Natural Ways


Before writing comes mark-making—an important stage for muscle control and creativity:


  • Draw with charcoal sticks or chunky crayons on large sheets of paper.

  • Paint with natural brushes made from sticks and leaves.

  • Use fingers to draw in sand, soil, or a tray of flour.


By using natural and recycled materials, children connect to their environment and learn that creativity doesn’t have to come in a plastic packet.


Step 4: Cutting Skills with Real Purpose


Safe scissor use is an important skill:


  • Start with child-safe scissors,

  • Cut fresh herbs, strips of scrap paper, or old envelopes.

  • Progress to cutting along simple lines before moving to curves and zigzags.


Bonus: use the cut-up items for a collage creative activity!

 

Child and carer clearing toys

Step 5: Hands-On Household & Outdoor Activities


Fine motor skills grow strongest through real-life tasks and nature-based experiences:


  • Baking together: Stirring, kneading dough, pouring ingredients.

  • Gardening: Digging small holes, planting seeds, and using hand trowels.

  • Forest School-style play: Tying knots, collecting natural materials, making nature soups/potions.

  • Crafting from nature: Weaving grasses, threading conkers, or making leaf prints.


Forest School play builds strong hands, curious minds, and a love for nature.


Step 6: Keep It Fun, Hands-On, and Pressure-Free


Every child develops fine motor skills at their own pace. Focus on providing a variety of engaging, sustainable activities and celebrate their efforts rather than rushing the process.


If you have concerns about your child’s development, your GP, health visitor, or nursery manager can offer guidance and reassurance.


Additional Resources


Fine motor skills guides & activities


SEN Children


Guides


Activities


School Readiness

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