Supporting Fine and Gross Motor Skills In and Out of the Classroom

Motor skills are abilities that allow us to move our bodies and manipulate objects. Motor skills are essential for development for many reasons, and they are used every day to perform many different tasks. They are typically separated into gross motor skills, which consist of large movements (e.g., running, jumping), and fine motor skills, which involve precise, smaller muscle movements like writing or buttoning clothing. While gross and fine motor skills involve very different muscle groups, both are critical for healthy development. Below you will find more information about why these skills are so important for young children, as well as ideas for how you can support these skills in your early childhood program.

Gross motor skills 

Gross motor skills involve using our large muscles to make large movements. What these skills look like differ at different developmental stages. For example, in infancy gross motor skills include a child raising and supporting their head when lying down, rolling from their tummy to their back, and crawling. As children grow and their gross motor skills continue to develop, they’re able to stand, walk, run, climb, and balance on one leg—all of which are examples of gross motor skills. Gross motor skills can set the stage for more precise movements (i.e., fine motor skills) and are important for children becoming physically active. They not only support brain growth and special awareness, but also social development as many children enjoy running and engaging in active play with their friends. Here are ways that you can support the gross motor development of the children in your care. As a reminder, all activities should align with the child’s developmental stage. There are so many other activities that support gross motor development that aren’t listed here. Getting children up and moving is almost always a good thing!

Classroom activities supporting gross motor skills 

• Play music and have a dance party.
• Tape a line down on the floor and have children practice walking or hopping on the line.
• Set up a “hot lava” game and put cushions on the floor and let children jump from cushion to cushion. To ensure this is safe, the cushions should not be placed on a slippery floor.
• Play a game of Simon Says.
• Encourage children to move around the classroom as different animals (e.g., walk like a bear, hop like a kangaroo). 

Outdoor activities supporting gross motor skills 

• Set up an obstacle course for children to move from. You can use hula hoops to jump into (or draw circles with chalk) and provide other obstacles that children must climb over, crawl under, or go through.
• Go on a “bear hunt” or scavenger hunt to allow children the space to walk, run, and explore.
• Bring out different balls and encourage children to use them in different ways (e.g., throwing, rolling, kicking).
• Play a parachute game and incorporate both lifting the parachute and running underneath.
• Provide opportunities for free play on the playground! 

Fine motor skills 

Fine motor skills involve small, more coordinated movements with our smaller muscles. Just like gross motor skills, fine motor skills look different at different developmental stages. For instance, infants will reach and grasp for different objects, shake toys, and pinch things between their thumb and forefinger—all examples of fine motor movements. As children are better able to coordinate their movements, they will progress to being able to stack objects, use buttons and zippers, string beads, and use utensils and writing instruments. Fine motor skills are essential for learning different self-care tasks, developing hand-eye coordination, cognitive development, creative expression, and ensuring children are ready to handle the expectations of elementary school. Here are things you can do to support fine motor skill development in and out of your classroom. Again, this is far from an exhaustive list and all activities should be geared toward the specific development of the children in your care. 

Classroom activities supporting fine motor skills

• Provide paper and a variety of writing and coloring materials.
• Have a space where children can practice using scissors to cut on lines or cut out shapes.
• Offer lacing and bead stringing activities.
• Puzzles and playdough both encourage the use of fine motor skills.
• Encourage children to help with mealtimes (e.g., serving food and drinks) and clean up (e.g., wiping tables, using a dustpan). 

Outdoor activities supporting fine motor skills

• Sensory bins with rice, beans, lentils, sand, or water, with cups and other objects to allow for activities like scooping, transferring, and pouring.
• Gardening is a great way to promote fine motor skills as it can include the use of tools, digging, pulling weeds, and planting small seeds.
• Provide sidewalk chalk to encourage children to draw, write, or setup hopscotch.
• Have children collect objects they find on the playground (e.g., rocks, leaves, sticks) and organize into living and non-living categories or build a structure out of the found materials.
• Encourage exploration on the playground—holding on to swing chains, climbing up ropes on climbing structures, and playing catch all support fine motor skill development.

BKC gross and fine motor courses

If you are interested in additional resources for gross and fine motor skill development, check out the Better Kid Care courses below! 

• Active Play for Preschoolers with Autism -- WE PLAY
• Adventurous Play: The Whys and Hows
• Children Can Cook!
• Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP): An Introduction
• EAT Family Style Module 5: Children Serve Themselves
• Family Child Care: Maximizing Block Play in the Home Setting
• Family Child Care: Overcoming Barriers to Lead Fun Physical Activities available in Spanish!
• Get Outdoors. Explore.
• Healthy Kids, Healthy Future: Get Kids Moving available in Spanish!
• I Am Moving, I Am Learning – Active Play Every Day!
• I Am Moving, I Am Learning – Take It Outside!
• Out of School Nutrition and Physical Activity (OSNAP)
• Physical Activities for Young Children: Lead with Confidence
• School Readiness: Lay the Foundation in the Early Years
• Taking Steps to Healthy Success: Active Play
• Using Art Materials
• Working with Wood – Children Can Do It!