Activities to Improve Hand Skills

At Bright Beginnings, we give the term strong writer a whole new meaning! The muscles in the hand are what makes holding a pencil possible. A child does not simply grasp a pencil one day and begin to write legibly. Rather children strengthen their grasp by building muscle tone. Thoughtful activities can help refine these skills and (thankfully) they can easily be disguised as play! We know children are highly motivated by games and interactions with their peers and adults. We can use this to our advantage. Before you know it, your child will develop the strong grasp they need to hold a pencil firmly. 

First, let’s talk about muscle tone. Muscle tone is the joint stability in the trunk, shoulders, wrists and hands. These are all important for hand skill development. A few tips for building muscle tone in your child’s hand might include:

• Working in an upright position. This helps strengthen the whole arm which is an important foundational skill for writing. Try drawing on a mounted chalkboard, using an easel for drawing, or drawing on the wall of your bathtub with soap foam or shaving cream. You can also try drawing letters and numbers in the air or use any toy that can be used in a vertical position. Think back to toys like Light Bright and the game Battleship. 
• Heavy work activities also develop hand muscles. These include push-ups and pull-ups, handstands, wheelbarrow walking, crab walking, swinging on monkey bars, climbing a ladder, and propping up on the forearms during TV watching or book reading. Your child likely loves to do these activities already. Encourage it! 

Now let’s talk about intrinsic muscles, or the small muscles of the hand. The intrinsic muscles in a child’s hand are responsible for movement, speed, and overall efficiency of the functional grasp. Without these muscles, we’re toast! As the hand becomes stronger, both the thumb side of the hand and the other side (the “power side”) grow more skilled. This is very important for hand dexterity. Try the following to strengthen these intrinsic muscles:

•  Snap fingers or spin a top
• Mold, roll, or play with clay or silly-putty
• Use a squirt gun or spray bottle
• Play games with cards, coins, pegs, or chips
• Work on stringing or lacing activities
• Use tweezers. A great game involving tweezers is Operation
• Use a hole puncher for art projects
• Rotate the hand by opening a jar lid or turning a door knob
• Practice dressing skills involving buttons, zippers, and snaps. Play dress up or dress your baby doll
• Use scissors, holding them correctly
• Play old fashioned games like Jacks, Pick Up Sticks, and marbles 

Who would have known so many simple (and fun) activities could lead to precision in handwriting? Try some of these activities. Your child will be a strong writer before you know it!