How to Grow Your Child’s Fine Motor Skills with Gardening
Imagine a gardening activity that will help your child’s fine motor skills blossom!
Get ready for spring time with these easy garden activities to strengthen your child’s fine motor skills! Gardening is such a sensory rich experience… from the sounds of the birds, the smell of fresh, clean air to the feel of the soft dirt and tiny seeds…. Gardening is oh so good for you in so many ways.
Research has shown that spending time outdoors in nature can lower anxiety and stress. So, what are you waiting for? Go outside and make friends with mother nature!
Here’s what you’ll need
- Small pots or plastic cups
- Kid scissors
- Seed packets (sunflowers, beans etc.)
- Spoon or small shovel
- Soil, pebbles
- Spray bottle
5 Reasons Why Gardening Improves Fine Motor Skills
1. Snipping stems, leaves, weeds or grass with scissors strengthens hands.
2. Using two hands together and crossing mid-line improves body coordination.
3. Using a spoon to scoop and empty improves utensils skills for eating.
4. Picking up tiny seeds improves dexterity.
5. Squeezing the spray bottle strengthens hands and works the same muscles needed for holding a pencil.
To make it easier…
- If your child doesn’t like getting hands dirty, use a shovel. Wear gloves, or place a paper towel nearby to wipe hands if needed
- Use adapted loop scissors (amazon.com)
Easy Gardening Activities
Scissor Skills!
Check out these other delicious ways to welcome spring!
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