There is no rush for little hands to write.

There is no rush for little hands to write.

I know I write this in this space again and again. And I have even created images on the topic!

Why do I keep on writing it? Because it is so important.

And if something is important to me, I’m afraid you are going to hear about it. More than once. Just ask my teenager.

Little hands need time to build and strengthen all those muscles. And little minds need time to figure out how all those muscles work.

Having little ones try to hold pencils and write too early can be very frustrating for and can lower his self-confidence in his abilities. There is even research to support that many letter reversals and improper pencil grips would not be apparent if writing was delayed.

So in the meantime? We can play in a way that strengthens those little hands for future writing.

And one great way to do this is to build dexterity:

Slingshot Quiet Bin – This has been a favorite activity in our house for a while now! Combine science, problem solving, and lots of fine motor skills in one simple quiet time activity.

Nature Heart Crafts – Dexterity can be developed through a wide variety of art and craft activities. These nature hearts give fingers and hands many opportunities to develop.

Amazing Ways to Play with Wikki Stix – Kids use their fingers to create letters, cards, and pieces of art with colorful manipulatives.

Threading Beads on Spaghetti from The Imagination Tree – Little fingers grasping and threading beads as they count is a wonderful way to work on dexterity alongside math.

Egg Carton Shoe Tying from The OT Toolbox – What a brilliant idea for helping kids learn to tie their shoes! An added bonus is tons of finger dexterity practice along the way.

Fine Motor Activities Using Dice from Still Playing School – Kids just love playing and learning with dice! These six ideas for using dice to work on children’s hand and finger dexterity are so simple and fun.

Pool Noodles and Rubber Bands from And Next Comes L – Stretching and moving rubber bands over pool noodles gets those little fingers working!

Watermelon Squish Bag from Fantastic Fun and Learning – Make sensory squish bags with just a few ingredients. Then let the little ones use their fingers to explore the bags, making shapes and moving watermelon seeds around.

Building Blocks and Foil from One Perfect Day – Wrapping and unwrapping blocks with foil will keep the kids entertained for quite some time! As they’re playing and exploring, the kids are getting a great chance to work on dexterity.

Rainbow Tower Ice Excavation from Fun at Home with Kids – What an awesome way to couple fine motor development with colorful science! Lots of dexterity practice with sprinkling salt and squeezing water from pipettes.

 

Did you know that there is no rush for little hands to write? Of course you do!

But, I’m still likely going to tell you again. I feel we all need this reassurance now a days with so much noise about “sooner is better” when it comes to learning.

And so I will gently remind us both. Because truly, there is no rush. I promise.

Thank you so much for reading friends. I hope you are having a fabulous week!