Hand exercises to improve co-ordination and fine motor skills

• Grip thumbs around each other into a loop and pull them in the opposite direction.
• Place palms together and push hands together as if you were praying.
• Place hands under legs while sitting down and lift yourself up.
• Tear strips of paper and then roll up a strip, gathering the strip towards you, first with one hand and then the other.
• Pick up raisins with your finger and thumb.  Use both hands simultaneously or alternate hands.
• Pass a pencil along your fingers, starting with your thumb.  Roll it over and under and back again.
• Squeeze a soft ball, like a stress ball.
• Use some play-doh that has been slightly hardened in the fridge or plasticine.  Place a coin in the centre of it and ask the child to find the coin.
• Rolling, threading and cutting all isolate finger movements and will help to strengthen fingers and improve hand function.

Games which can help too -

• Games with a yo-yo need to separate the thumb to work them properly and improve eye/hand function as well as co-ordination.
• Cat’s cradle
• French knitting
• Dot-to-dot games
• Marble mazes – get the child to follow the marble around the course with his/her finger.

Finger Aerobics

Try finger aerobic exercises to warm up the fingers before a writing task. This is an easy fine motor activity that the whole classroom can participate in.