Including Fine Motor Skills in Your Homeschool Preschool

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We are in our second day of the 5 Days of Tot-School & Preschool Ideas series that I am hosting this week.

Be sure to check back each day for more great homeschool preschool and tot-school ideas. We are looking at 5 main topics that relate to tot-school and preschool:

Today we will be taking a look at how to include fine motor skills in your toddler and preschoolers homeschool day.

Including fine motor skills in your homeschool preschool and tot-school at home.

How to Include Fine Motor Skills in Your Homeschool Preschool

What you may not realize, is that fine motor skills start to develop almost at birth. By 3 months old, a baby is learning how to reach out and grab a hold of items that interest them. This is the beginning of fine motor skills. Fine motor skills also develop in a developmental sequence.

I have a great free printable that I offer here on GHOK that lists all the age appropriate fine motor skills your child can do. You can head over to that post to grab it: Typical Fine Motor Developmental Milestone for Ages 0-6. 


Once you understand the developmental sequence of fine motor skills, it is easy to know what to expect from your child! Fine motor skills are really part of every day life. Here are just a few examples of day to day activities that require fine motor skills:

  • Getting dressed (manipulating buttons, zippers, and snaps)
  • Tying shoes
  • Eating (holding a fork, spoon, or butter knife)
  • Fixing meals & snacks (opening or twisting lids & containers, spreading items with a butter knife)

These are just a few ideas. These are tons of ways to include fine motor practice and skills into your daily routine. And what is great is that many of these items are just things you probably already have lying around the house.  Here are a few ideas:

  • Tongs
  • Tweezers
  • Cotton Balls
  • Beads
  • Playdough
  • Finger Paint (doubles as a great sensory activity too)
  • Dried pasta
  • Lacing cards
  • Blocks
  • Scissors
  • Musical instruments

If you are wondering what types of activities to include in your day, I have a couple of great resources for you. Click on the graphics below to get the free printables with lots of fine motor ideas.

50 Fine motor activity ideas for ages 0-3, FREE PRINTABLE.
50 fine motor activity ideas for ages 3-6.

You can also find more great fine motor activity ideas by checking out the links below:

To find the rest of the posts in this series, head over to the 5 Days of Homeschool Tot-School and Preschool landing page.

You can also check out my Fine Motor Skills for Babies (0-2) and Fine Motor Activities for Pre-k (Ages 2-6) on my Pinterest boards.

Follow Heather G. | Golden Reflections Blog's board Fine Motor Skills for Babies on Pinterest.

Follow Heather G. | Golden Reflections Blog's board Fine Motor Skills Prek & Up on Pinterest.

Heather Greutman, COTA

Heather Greutman is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant with experience in school-based OT services for preschool through high school. She uses her background to share child development tips, tools, and strategies for parents, educators, and therapists. She is the author of many ebooks including The Basics of Fine Motor Skills, and Basics of Pre-Writing Skills, and co-author of Sensory Processing Explained: A Handbook for Parents and Educators.

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CONTENT DISCLAIMER: Heather Greutman is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant.
All information on the Website is for informational purposes only and is not a replacement for medical advice from a physician or your pediatrician. Please consult with a medical professional if you suspect any medical or developmental issues with your child. The information on the Websites does not replace the relationship between therapist and client in a one-on-one treatment session with an individualized treatment plan based on their professional evaluation. The information provided on the Website is provided “as is” without any representations or warranties, express or implied.

Do not rely on the information on the Website as an alternative to advice from your medical professional or healthcare provider. You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice, or discontinue medical treatment as a result of any information provided on the Website. All medical information on the Website is for informational purposes only.

All activities outlined on the Website are designed for completion with adult supervision. Please use your own judgment with your child and do not provide objects that could pose a choking hazard to young children. Never leave a child unattended during these activities. Please be aware of and follow all age recommendations on all products used in these activities. Growing Hands-On Kids is not liable for any injury when replicating any of the activities found on this blog.

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