In daycare, developing fine motor skills is a vital part of the program. Fine motor skills are necessary for picking up small objects, stacking blocks, and simple motions such as clapping or waving. To develop these skills, Montessori daycare will present children with a variety of activities, including the ones listed here.
Discovery bottles, sometimes referred to as sensory bottles, are jars or bottles that contain a wide variety of items. The idea is that Montessori daycare children will shake, rattle, roll, and turn the bottles during the course of investigating their content. Discovery bottles are intended to convey sensory information when children are holding them, developing the five senses in conjunction with improving coordination and the manipulation of small objects.
2. Artwork
Gripping a pencil or crayon depends on well-developed fine motor skills. When small children create drawings or other artwork, they are using those skills and learning how to control their hands and fingers. At first, a child's artwork may seem random, but the more practice they get in using art, the better they will be able to draw recognizable images, stay within the lines while coloring, and make distinct marks that will eventually become letters and words.
3. Being Big Helpers
Helping with small tasks provides children with a number of developmental skills, including fine motor skills. Picking up their room, organizing books on a shelf, and chores such as feeding the family pet are all great ways for children to hone critical developmental skills they will need throughout their lives. Helper activities also help children develop self-esteem and feel more like a valuable part of the family and classroom.
4. Building with Blocks
Stacking blocks or building with Lego-style toys do more than encourage the development of fine motor skills. This type of activity also builds critical thinking skills, helps children learn to sort colors and sizes, and more. Blocks are one of many play-based tools available to small children that make learning enjoyable and engaging.
Maria Montessori recognized that the most successful way to teach children is to keep them active and engaged. In school and at home, it is important that children receive plenty of opportunities to use their hands and arms, developing fine motor skills at the same time as they absorb other lessons, running from academic skills to practical experience that will make them feel like an important participant in everything they do.
