As our kids grow, they learn to become more independent. The muscle strength in their bodies continues to strengthen to help them do jobs on their own. Of these, finger and hand strength are very important.
That’s because we do most of work with our fingers and hands. If your child’s hand and finger strength are not developed, he might have difficulty in grasping a pencil, zipping, using lacing, operating simple tools like scissors and tapes. Later, their handwriting might be affected. That’s why even at preschool, we start with activities to develop pincer grasp in kids before going on to ABCs.
9 Activities to Develop Pincer Grasp In Kids
A few do-at-home activities to develop pincer grasp in kids are:
Legos
My all-time favorite! For younger kids, I recommend the bigger Duplo blocks. Constructing and de-constructing blocks require the use of fingers of your hands. It might be difficult for your little one in the beginning but encourage your child to play with blocks for a few minutes every day. Even if they are making a simple tower, it’s helping them develop pincer grasp more than you realize.
Playdoh
Playdoh might look messy but in all the mess, there’s a lot of learning too. It’s one of the best activities to develop pincer grasp in kids. The squashing, the pinching, the stretching, the shaping, the rolling- all these movement strength different muscles in your child’s hand.
Tongs
This is such an easy activity. Get your kid a pair of tongs. Tweezers work best for older kids. Spread out their toys on a tray. You could make it more fun, and put them in a bucket of water. Put on a timer and get them to ‘save’ all the toys from drowning. Set a timer to add to the challenge.
Quiet Books
These books can keep your toddler occupied for a good hour, and develop pincer grasp at the same time. Quiet books are books made with fabric. Each page has an activity that requires your child to use his fingers. This could be tying laces, putting clothes in a basket, or matching colors.
Stringing Beads
Stringing beads can be a little challenging for preschoolers. You can get some bigger beads and laces to start off with. This activity also works on eye and brain coordination as your child tries to pass the bead through the string.
Lacing Cards
If you have a copy of my Indoor Summer Activities Ebook, I have some lacing card printable that you can save and print. Print them. Pinch holes on the cards and give those to your kids along with colored laces.
Clean A Car
The next time you clean your car, take your kid along. In cleaning your car, there are a variety of activities to develop pincer grasp in kids:
- Take with you two sponges and a bucket of soapy water. Show your child how you dip the sponge in water and wring it before you wash your car with it. Encourage him to copy your movements. Grasping and squeezing the sponge develops pinch strength in kids.
- Get your child to clean with windows. Give him a rag and a spray bottle. Holding and pushing the finger-extended trigger activates the fingers in your kid’s handle and this develops their core strength.
- Holding the water can, wiping with a rag and other such simple activities also help give strength to your kid’s hands and fingers.
Cooking
Cook with your kids. It not only helps develop pincer grasp in kids, but it also acclimates your child to all kinds of foods and the ingredients used in cooking. I won’t recommend handing over sharp knives to your kids, but even in cooking, there are a lot of activities to develop pincer grasp in kids:
- Pouring water from a jug or a carton;
- Squeezing the juice of a lemon or orange;
- Stirring the batter and holding the spoon;
- Kneading dough;
- Spreading butter or jam on toast;
- Cutting bread or vegetables with a butter knife;
- Use kitchen scissors to cut herbs;
- Scooping and Mixing.
Nuts and Bolts
Loosening and tightening nuts and bolts can help develop pincer grasp in kids. I recommend using toy nuts and bolts. They are bigger in size which makes grasping easier of beginners.
There are tons of activities to develop pincer grasp in kids. Any activity involving the fingers and hands is helping develop and strength the muscles in your child’s fingers and hands. The idea is to keep repeating these simple activities.
I would suggest you start with the ones that are easier for you to manage to help build confidence. Try them all out. The best ones are the ones that your kids love because he is more willing to practice more with those activities.
As always, I hope this article will give you ideas on activities to develop pincer grasp in kids. If you notice your child struggling and are concerned, please reach out to set up a free consultation. I would love to help you determine your child’s individual needs. We are here to support you as you help your child blossom!
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