THE BATTLEFORDS — Developing fine motor skills for our littles can be fun and engaging for everyone.
By developing fine motor skills with pre-kindergarten and kindergarten children at home, they will be better prepared and more engaged in classroom activities that involve printing, cutting with scissors and other educational activities. Here is a list of activities compiled from Saskatchewan Online Curriculum (June 2011) to have fun with at home:
- playing with small toys and manipulating them in a specific manner (i.e.: moving toy cars through a maze),
- ripping paper in strips, starting by pinching at the top and tearing in a downward motion with one hand,
- using one hand to crumple paper to strengthen hand,
- using finger puppets to create a finger play,
- putting tape (sticky side up) on each finger and attempting to pick up a small bead or piece of paper one finger at a time,
- rolling and shaping clay to create detailed items such as balls of various sizes, faces with details, and letters of the alphabet,
- pinching strips of clay with the thumb and index finger,
- cooking by peeling, kneading, rolling, or stirring,
- using baby dolls or animals to “feed”, zipping, snapping, buttoning, and tying doll-sized clothes, and/or
- Clean tables or colour snow with spray bottles.
The Early Childhood Community Planning Network (ECCPN) organizes events to provide opportunities for children to learn and grow in the Battlefords.
Join us for our upcoming National Child Day celebration on Nov. 17 at the NationsWEST Field House from 1-3 p.m. The event is free and will offer engaging and fun activities for the children and their families. The event is open to all children and youth (ages 0 – 18 years) accompanied by an adult family member/caregiver.