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An Occupational Therapist's TOP 11 PICKS for Games to Promote the Development of Hand Skills in Children ages 3-8:
- Leonora Bradley
- Feb 22
- 3 min read
Play is the occupation of childhood. Here are ideas for some fine motor fun for the whole family!
Are you a parent or a teacher looking to build your arsenal of non-screen toys and games that not only provide fun times for play and social interaction, but also build the fine motor skills and visual motor skills needed for children to be successful in school and home daily activities?
The following list contains some favorite games and toys that will guarantee a good time! Remember, children learn through PLAY. What better than to have a rotation of fun toys and games for the entire family? The following games & toys help to promote the development of hand muscle strength, coordination, grasping skills, and eye-hand coordination.
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11 Favorite Games for Hand Skill Development:
This classic is great for visual attention, pincer grasp development, and hand strength. Turn off the lights and have a blast with this creative and visually-stimulating game.
Using tongs, bowls, and "menu" cards with different patterns to create chef-inspired bowls of ramen, this game provides unlimited options for creativity and builds fine motor skills, matching skills, and perhaps culinary interest!
This classic game is exciting for all and can be done at a table, or down on the floor. Eye-hand coordination and finger dexterity is challenged through this high-speed competitive game. With the ability to accommodate 4 players, it makes for a great family, friends, or classroom game.
Work on those hand strength and finger dexterity skills while using the squirrel tongs to retrieve and place acorns in this fun game.
This game requires grasping of tools, changing muscle control and force, and eye-hand coordination to "tap" the ice blocks out without letting the penguin fall through the ice. This game is great for turn-taking and problem-solving, too.
This game requires one to roll dice and "fish" for different color fish within the shark's mouth - the surprise happens when the shark decides to "chomp" down and close his mouth on your fishing hook! Great for eye-hand coordination, grasp development, and speed and quickness in the hands and arms.
This oldie but goodie classic requires the player to use tweezer to "operate" on the patient without touching the sides - great for fine motor precision and visual attention.
This game is great for turn taking, in-hand manipulation skills to hold the coins and place them into the slots. The person who is able to get 4 of their coins in a row (same color) wins. This game can be modified to play in different ways to focus on isolated skills such as color matching, color patterns, and using one's hand skills to hold & release multiple coins at once.
Most kids love playing this game with a partner, or even by themselves! Push down each tooth of the crocodile, trying to avoid the unknown "sore tooth", which will make him chomp down! Great for finger isolation skills, eye hand coordination, hand speed, and unlimited anticipation and excitement. So small that it's easily portable- great game to take with you anywhere!
Always a classic favorite, who doesn't love baby animals? This game builds fine motor skills that require grasping and releasing as players pick up, flip, and place the cards. A fun way to take turns, play with 2 or more people, and work on building visual memory skills.
A beloved classic wooden-block building and knock-down game for multiple players. This game requires one to use eye-hand coordination, grasping skills, muscle control, and problem-solving to remove blocks without knocking down the tower. This version comes in an easy-store box with a handle- perfect for cleaning up, storing, and traveling.
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