Fine Motor Skills for Preschool Children 48 – 54 Months (4 Years Old)

CME WebsitesChild Development, Pre-Schoolers 36 - 60 Months

Tips to Help Your Four Year Old Develop Fine Motor Skills

You can help with your child’s developmental milestones.  Suggested play to help developing fine motor skills in a child 48 to 54 months of age:

  • Play with pudding. Make a batch of pudding (your child will be good at stirring the ingredients). Place a few spoonfuls on a cookie sheet or a large plate. (You may want to cover the table with newspaper first.) Have your child wash its hands and then finger-paint in the pudding. Your child can practice letters and shapes or draw pictures. The best part is cleaning up!
  • When the mail comes, let your child open the junk mail. He or she can exercise his or her fingers opening the mail, and may find some little surprises inside. Help your child write and mail letters to family members or to a favorite performer or athlete.
  • Make paper chains. Paper chains can be made by cutting any type of paper into strips about 1 inch by 5 inches. Show your child how to make a loop by gluing or taping the ends together. Create a chain by inserting the next length through the first loop and so forth. See how long you can make the chain.
  • Homemade books are fun! Staple, tape, glue or sew together a few pieces of paper. On the pages, your child can draw pictures or paste in cut-out pictures from magazines to illustrate a story. Encourage your child to tell you its story. Help your child by writing down its words on each page.
  • Artists always sign their masterpieces. After your child makes you a picture with paint or crayons, ask him or her to sign their name. Show your child how to do it, and watch them make the marks on the paper. It won’t look just right, but letting your child do things on his or her own is a powerful way to help them learn.