Fine Motor Skills Activities for Babies

Here is a collection of simple and engaging fine motor skills activities for babies and toddlers that help to encourage muscle strength, co-ordination and concentration, all through playful fun! There are so many other benefits to these activities too and they are simple and meaningful for small minds, using materials from around the home and are so quick to prepare.

Babies and toddlers learn through their senses and interact with materials around them as soon as they can grasp, pinch and grab at them. Younger babies don’t need too much stimulation in a world that’s already over-full of images, colours and moving objects and flashing screens. You can set up a simple and engaging play area  for 0-6 months old like our Montessori and Reggio inspired play space here, and more open ended play for 6-18 months + in the developed space we made here.

As well as these open-ended play discovery spaces, there are some lovely engaging activities you can play alongside baby for short periods of time, following their lead and interest.

I would always suggest starting with a treasure basket and move on to the other ideas from there. Click on the purple linked words to take you to the full articles and read how we made and played with the items.

Explore textures in a treasure basket

Drop objects into an adapted milk jug

Pull fabric pieces from a tissue box

Play with giant felt pieces

Open, fill and empty egg cartons

Stick and separate hair rollers

Put rolls into muffin tins

Drop, pull and roll these DIY  motor skills toys

Explore how stickers attach to felt

Stack with nesting bowls

Drop and shoot pom poms

Stack and knock over piles of cups

Paint with water over coloured chalk

Stick and remove foam on the window or the bath-tub

Squish and mark-make with DIY finger-paints

Want to see more ideas and activities for baby play and creativity? Search our archives here!

Looking for fine motor activities for older toddlers, preschoolers and school aged kids? Here are over 40 in this very popular collection:

 

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