Before you expect your child to develop the complex tasks of writing and drawing, it is important to give him many experiences to develop fine motor skills. It is through these types of activities that you will start to prepare your child for the more difficult skills of picking up a pencil, holding it correctly and forming letters.
- nuts and bolts of various sizes (e.g., ½” x 2”, 5/8” x 2”, ¾” x 2”) or
- PVC adapters that screw together (e.g., ½”, ¾”, 1”)
- container for storage
Step 1: For this activity, you will need to make a trip to your garage or to your favorite home improvement store. Provide six nuts and bolts or six PVC adapter pairs for your child to screw together. Use three large-size pairs and three medium-size pairs so that your child has just two sizes to choose from.
Step 2: Lay the nuts and bolts or PVC pieces on a table or on the floor. Show your child how to match the sizes and screw them together.
Step 3: Encourage your child to screw the nuts and bolts or PVC connectors together. Applaud his success!
Use fewer choices. Provide three nuts and bolts or three PVC connectors that are all the same size.
Increase the number of choices. Provide 10 nuts and bolts or PVC connectors in a variety of sizes.
