Using hands and tools

Scissors can be introduced to children as young as two. However, it's important to understand from a developmental perspective what it entails and what to expect.

• Holds Scissors: A child can learn to hold scissors around 2 years old, but they often use both hands to open/close the scissors. Start using play dough scissors.

• Opens/closes scissors: Around 2.5 years old, a child can learn how to open and close scissors. They could start using the thumbs-up position with scissors. Incorporate pre-scissor activities into your child’s routine (e.g. pinching/rolling playdough, tearing paper, using tongs, tweezer activities…)
• Snips Paper: You can start cutting little snips into the paper or card once your child can open and close the scissors. They are only making snips with the scissors, not cutting the paper. 

When learning to cut, consider the following:

• Scissor skills are not fully developed until 6 years of age.
• Materials: Start using thick paper or card as it is easier to control. You can move onto strings, straws, and paper once your child is able to hold the scissors and the material properly. Start utilising thin strips (approx. 2cm) and increase the size of the paper as your child’s skills progresses.
• Scissors: There are many scissors available (see some types below), be mindful when choosing and ensure the size of your scissors is appropriate for your child’s hand size.Spring loaded scissors help with developing the hand movement and help with control.

Instructions

• Give short, simple, and clear instructions.
• Ensure your child is sitting comfortable with their feet flat on the floor.
• The best way to hold scissors is with a thumb in the top loop and the best way to hold the paper is with a thumb on top (like holding a key).

• Start with a thicker line. You can make shapes and ask your child to snip them.

• Increase the length of the lines and/or decrease the thickness of the lines as your child progresses.
• Once your child has mastered their skills, introduce corners and curved lines.

 

Pre-scissor skills

• Use tongs to sort objects
• Use a pipette with coloured water in to make patterns on paper
• Tearing paper
• Paper weaving
• Use a spray bottle with water to water the plants or create patterns on a chalk board outside
• Use a hole punch to make holes  
• Place clothes pegs around the edge of a shoebox

 

Click here for information on using scissors and a ruler

• Copying a drawing on an easel
• Pulling themselves along a bench on their tummy
• Pulling/pushing heavy objects
• Wall push ups
• Climbing
• Swimming
• Swinging on trapeze swing
• Scooter board
• Drawing with chalk on a vertical chalk board or the sidewalk
• Dot to Dot’s and mazes
• Lego/building activities
• Flipping coins
• Copying peg drawings
• Puzzles
• Colour in picture and colour in parts of body of animal
• Stress ball with tips of fingers
• Picking up things from sand or lentils with tweezers
• Scrunching paper then flick
• Thumb wars
• Squirt guns
• Theraputty/playdough activities
• Threading beads

 

Tips to develop pre-writing skills

• Use different tactile pre-writing materials such as sand, finger paint, play dough, shaving foam…
• Use lining paper against a wall and encourage your child to paint with a brush, making large movement and scribbling.

• Use shorter crayons or chalk to encourage a more tripod grasp, about 2-3cm long
• Commercially available materials: easy mazes, simple dot-to-dots, matching games, colouring in pictures
• Encourage your child to try different pre-writing positions as these use different muscle groups developing postural control and strength of upper and lower limb muscles

Drawing and handwriting

Posture: Ensure good sitting posture prior engaging in a handwriting activity.

1. Sit up straight, bottom back in chair.
2. Feet flat on floor. If your child’s feet do not touch the floor, it is recommended to use footsteps to create good posture stability.
3. Knees and hips at 90 degrees
4. Forearms resting lightly on edge of table.

 

Letter formation

• Copying peg board patterns and sequences, including different colours and directions
• Copying / drawing patterns between lines
• Forming letter shapes from playdough, Wikki Stix’s, pipe cleaners or string.
• Drawing letters with index finger in a tray of sand or shaving foam/painting
• Playing hangman – draw letter on child’s back for them to guess the letter
• Draw letter shapes on paper and stick small objects such as dried beans or pasta around the letter shape.  Draw letter shapes in chalk on the playground or garden patio and run around the letter shape
• Copying 2D and 3D building block designs
• Practise mazes and colouring to develop pencil control
• Sensory activities

Spacing tips

• A child may initially find drawing a line between words useful as this gives a physical and visual prompt to space words appropriately.  For example: I-like-to-ride-my-bike.
• After this their pencil can ‘jump’ the spaces between words.
• Use finger spaces/stamps/stickers between words to help your child

Tools

• Consider the type of pencil/pen your child is using. For those that struggle to hold the pencil correctly, or for those with hypermobile joints on their fingers, it is recommended to try a triangular pencil or a pencil grip (there are many types available on internet).

• If your child leans excessively over the desk, you may want to consider using a writing slope to encourage an upright posture when completing handwriting tasks.

 

If your child struggles with handwriting activities due to experiencing pain or fatigue, these are some of the strategies you can implement:

• Putting gloves on: Take one finger and squeeze it in your other hand. Then pull on it to get it out of your hand. Repeat the same with all your fingers, and the other hand.
• Squeeze the lemons: Make fists with your two hands and squeeze 3 times, then shake your hands 5 times, then open and close your fingers 5 times.
• Walk your fingers forward and back on the pencil 3 times (like a caterpillar)
• Theraputty (medium) before fine motor tasks (writing, painting, drawing)
• Roll putty into a ball. With the ball in your palm, open and close your fist 10 times to exercise finger flexors.
• Using both hands, roll putty on the tabletop to make a snake. Keep your fingers straight to exercise finger extensors. Fold it in half and roll it out again.
• Roll the putty into an egg shape. Make stegosaurus spines along the top, first using the thumb and index, then thumb and middle, then thumb and ring finger and lastly thumb and pinkie.
• Make a ball. Flatten it out into a thick pancake by pressing it on the table with your hands. Now pretend you are a cat, dig your claws in and pull.
• Roll out a snake, and then join the two ends to make a donut with a hole in the middle. Place it on the table and poke the fingers and thumb of one hand through the hole. Now stretch out your fingers into a star, making the hole as big as you can.
• Hide beads, coins and small treasures in the putty. Without using your eyes see if you can find them.

Alternatives to handwriting: touch-typing

• Dance Mat Typing www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/ 
• Rapid Typing Zone www.rapidtyping.com/
• Big Brown Bear www.bigbrownbear.co.uk/learntotype
• Free Typing Game www.freetypinggame.net/
• Typing www.mathandreadinghelp.org/kids_games/the_typing_of_the_ghosts.html
• Common sense education https://www.commonsense.org/education/top-picks/best-typing-games-for-students.

One to two-years-old

• Build a tower of blocks
• Connecting toys together and pulling them apart
• Turn pages of a book
• Turn knobs
• Paint using whole arm, holds paintbrush in a fisted grip
• Use a spoon (may still spill)
• Starts to stab with a fork
• Pick small objects such as peas
• Taking out and putting things into boxes / use a shape sorter with some assistance
• Can pull down a loose top once placed on the head
• Tries to push arms through sleeves
• Tries to push legs through leg holes
• Removes socks and shoes (that have loose fastenings)

 

Body awareness

Children first need to learn about their own bodies before they can interact with their environment. This develops as they learn to move around as babies.

• Games, songs and action rhymes are a good way of reinforcing awareness of one’s own body e.g. ‘round and round the garden’, ‘Hokey Cokey’, ‘Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes’ etc. More ideas on action can be found here: https://empoweredparents.co/10-action-rhymes-for-preschoolers/
• Another good time to reinforce body awareness and body concept is during washing and dressing activities. For example, naming body parts when you are washing and dressing e.g. push your arm through the sleeve . This is a good time to talk about top and bottom, in and out, etc and this will gradually help your child to understand a little about spatial relationships.
• Baby massage while talking or singing to your child

 

Hand to mouth coordination

• Continue to encourage your child to explore suitable toys with her mouth this will help improve her hand-mouth coordination
• Encourage your child to place, position and remover her dummy from her mouth so she develops more awareness
• Encourage your child to use a beaker or cup with handles to drink from
• Encourage your child to use a spoon to feed herself or once the food is on the fork, she can feed it to herself. Start with food that she likes and provide hand over hand support to begin with, gently guiding her hand and letting her do most of the movement. 

 

Cause and effect

• A child’s awareness that he/she has an ability to influence their environment i.e. pressing a button to make a sound flash or rattling a noisy toy
• Select toys which have this element i.e. musical toys
• Cause and effect toys, like activity centers, pop-up toys, hammering toys, musical toys (Rompa)
• Pots, pans and wooden spoons can also make good noisy toys encouraging your child to bang them

Fine motor skills

Shape containers/ sorters – for palmar grasp development 

• Moving toys from one container to another. If the containers are made of a hard material there will be an auditory reward to motivate your child

Nesting cups – for raking/lateral grip development

• Practice stacking the cups into each other. Start with three cups and increase the amount gradually.
• Place cups in different formations.
• Encourage her to grip the cup using her fingers and thumb as much as possible

Stacking rings – for hook grip development

• Start with three rings, demonstrate and encourage a child to make a correct sequence and gradually increase number of rings

Push button toys - for isolating index finger and learning to point

• Push button toys such as audio books are great to encourage your child to use their pointing finger with the rest of the fingers closed

Activities to improve the sensory awareness and use of both hands:

• Toys that connect together and disconnect e.g. Duplo, Mega blocks, large magnetic tiles, Popoids
• Opening and closing large boxes and containers that require use of both hands

 

• Pushing objects through holes – encourage your child to hold the toy with one hand and use another to push things through
• Textured toys will provide enhanced sensory stimulation and feedback e.g. a textured ball instead of a smooth one or a furry toy; crinkle toys; crinkle paper
• Toys with tags
• Toys that vibrate
• Toys/objects that bang together
• Talk, read and sing to your child

Click here for information on developing coordinated hand use