Fine motor skills are small muscle movements of the fingers that help your child to perform school readiness activities such as:

Painting with a paintbrush

Cutting with scissors

Drawing and writing using a pencil or crayon correctly

Holding and using a knife and fork

Holding and manipulating small objects

Craft activities

(Nursery & School Guide Edinburgh 06/07)

THE PLAN

Choose any theme you want and adapt the plan accordingly. My theme is ‘Primary Colours’.

Monday: Do three paintings. A Red painting, a Blue painting and a Yellow painting.

Tuesday: Take some magazines, old paper and cards in the three primary colours, allow your child to cut into squares or other shapes with safety scissors. Take a large piece of white paper or card and glue the paper pieces on to make a primary colour collage. Make signs for each colour by writing the letters on to paper, your child can attempt to cut out by following the lines.

Wednesday: Practise writing their name in the three different colours. Choose the best sign and decorate with glitter and stickers for the wall.

Thursday: Prepare a lunch together of pasta. Give them a jar of pasta and ask them to count out some pasta shapes into a bowl (using their pincer grip). Serve with some ham or chicken and practise using a knife and fork. Make it more fun by heading outside for a picnic – don’t forget to ice some biscuits or fairy cakes with red, blue and yellow icing!

Friday: Make a model house. Take a box (the house), a yoghurt pot (chimney), and some cellophane (windows) and glue together to make a house. Paint the house red, blue or yellow. Add some fabric curtains, and cotton wool smoke to the chimney.

Saturday: Let your child choose an activity or outing that relates to red, blue or yellow!

Photo by flickr user venegas