Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsExamplesTimelineHow to ImproveWhen to Talk to a DoctorFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Examples
Timeline
How to Improve
When to Talk to a Doctor
Frequently Asked Questions
Fine-motor skills are movements that require coordination of the fingers, hands, and wrists to complete everyday tasks. Fine-motor skills require manual dexterity and start to develop in babies and young children, improving over time with maturity.
This article reviews examples of fine-motor skills, the typical timeline of their development, and ways to improve them.
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Examples of Fine-Motor Skills
Fine-motor skills are used every day to complete self-care tasks,activities of daily living(ADLs), and school and work-related duties. Examples of fine-motor skills include:
Fine-Motor Skills vs. Gross-Motor SkillsFine-motor skills require coordination of the small muscles and joints of the fingers, hands, and wrists. Gross-motor skills require larger muscles and joints to coordinate the movement of the arms, legs, and body.
Fine-Motor Skills vs. Gross-Motor Skills
Fine-motor skills require coordination of the small muscles and joints of the fingers, hands, and wrists. Gross-motor skills require larger muscles and joints to coordinate the movement of the arms, legs, and body.
Timeline of Development
Babies start to develop fine-motor skills at 1 or 2 months old, and they refine fine them and learn new ones as they grow. Advanced fine-motor skills take a longer time to develop, such as those used to play an instrument or create certain types of art, and can continue to develop into the adult years.
Children typically accomplish certain fine-motor skills along a predicted timeline with milestones at different ages.
2 Months
At 2 months old, a child should be able to do the following:
4–6 Months
At 4-6 months old, a child should be able to do the following:
8 Months
At 8 months old, a child should be able to do the following:
10–12 Months
At 10–12 months old, a child should be able to do the following:
1–2 Years
At 1–2 years old, a child should be able to do the following:
2–3 Years
At 2–3 years old, a child should be able to do the following:
3–4 Years
At 3–4 years old, a child should be able to do the following:
4–5 Years
At 4–5 years old, a child should be able to do the following:
5–6 Years
At 5–6 years old, a child should be able to do the following:
6 Years and Up
At age 6 and up, a child should be able to do the following:
Ways to Improve Fine-Motor Skills
Adults can lose their ability to perform fine-motor skills from acquired hand and finger weakness from aging, different forms ofarthritis, and neurological conditions likestrokesandParkinson’s disease. Practicing hand and finger exercises, along with attendingoccupational therapy, can improve fine-motor skills.
If you notice that your child isn’t meeting milestones, you should talk with your healthcare provider. Certain conditions likeautism spectrum disorders,cerebral palsy,Down syndrome,muscular dystrophies, and others can affect a child’s ability to perform fine-motor movements.
Aging and neurological conditions can also affect your coordination and ability to complete fine-motor tasks. If you have difficulty with the daily tasks of living, talk with your healthcare provider. Occupational therapy can be beneficial for practicing and improving fine-motor movements.
Summary
Fine-motor skillsare movements that require coordination of the fingers, hands, and wrists to grab, hold, and manipulate objects in order to complete everyday tasks, such as brushing your teeth, bathing, eating, writing/drawing, and getting dressed.
Babies and young children typically follow a general timeline for developing fine-motor skills but may take longer if they have certain health conditions. If you are concerned about your child’s fine-motor skills or your own, working with an occupational therapist can help.
A Word From Verywell
Performing fine-motor skills are crucial for maintaining independence with everyday tasks and activities of daily living. If you notice that you are losing your ability to perform fine-motor skills or if your child has difficulty with or is taking longer than expected with learning fine-motor skills, talk with your healthcare provider about starting occupational therapy.
Frequently Asked QuestionsFine-motor skills require coordination of the small muscles and joints of the fingers, hands, and wrists, while gross-motor skills require coordination of larger muscles and joints to coordinate movement of the arms, legs, and body.Examples of fine-motor skills include brushing your teeth, holding a pencil/pen to write, using a fork or spoon to feed yourself, cutting with a knife, buttoning a shirt, zipping a zipper, typing on a computer, cutting with scissors, turning a key in a lock, turning a doorknob, turning the pages of a book, and tying shoelaces.Fine-motor skills can decline with age due to lack of use and acquired muscle weakness affecting coordination of the hands and fingers.Providing different types of toys that involve pressing buttons, turning knobs, opening or closing lids, placing objects through holes, and fitting puzzle pieces together can help your child develop fine-motor skills as well as encouraging your child to participate in arts and crafts and tasks around the home, like cooking and cleaning.
Fine-motor skills require coordination of the small muscles and joints of the fingers, hands, and wrists, while gross-motor skills require coordination of larger muscles and joints to coordinate movement of the arms, legs, and body.
Examples of fine-motor skills include brushing your teeth, holding a pencil/pen to write, using a fork or spoon to feed yourself, cutting with a knife, buttoning a shirt, zipping a zipper, typing on a computer, cutting with scissors, turning a key in a lock, turning a doorknob, turning the pages of a book, and tying shoelaces.
Fine-motor skills can decline with age due to lack of use and acquired muscle weakness affecting coordination of the hands and fingers.
Providing different types of toys that involve pressing buttons, turning knobs, opening or closing lids, placing objects through holes, and fitting puzzle pieces together can help your child develop fine-motor skills as well as encouraging your child to participate in arts and crafts and tasks around the home, like cooking and cleaning.
4 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Scharf RJ, Scharf GJ, Stroustrup A.Developmental milestones.Pediatr Rev(2016) 37 (1): 25–38. doi: 10.1542/pir.2014-0103National Association for the Education of Young Children.Help your child build fine motor skills.Moving With Hope.What does an occupational therapist do for adults?Choo YY, Agarwal P, How CH, Yeleswarapu SP.Developmental delay: identification and management at primary care level.Singapore Med J. 2019;60(3):119-123. doi:10.11622/smedj.2019025
4 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Scharf RJ, Scharf GJ, Stroustrup A.Developmental milestones.Pediatr Rev(2016) 37 (1): 25–38. doi: 10.1542/pir.2014-0103National Association for the Education of Young Children.Help your child build fine motor skills.Moving With Hope.What does an occupational therapist do for adults?Choo YY, Agarwal P, How CH, Yeleswarapu SP.Developmental delay: identification and management at primary care level.Singapore Med J. 2019;60(3):119-123. doi:10.11622/smedj.2019025
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Scharf RJ, Scharf GJ, Stroustrup A.Developmental milestones.Pediatr Rev(2016) 37 (1): 25–38. doi: 10.1542/pir.2014-0103National Association for the Education of Young Children.Help your child build fine motor skills.Moving With Hope.What does an occupational therapist do for adults?Choo YY, Agarwal P, How CH, Yeleswarapu SP.Developmental delay: identification and management at primary care level.Singapore Med J. 2019;60(3):119-123. doi:10.11622/smedj.2019025
Scharf RJ, Scharf GJ, Stroustrup A.Developmental milestones.Pediatr Rev(2016) 37 (1): 25–38. doi: 10.1542/pir.2014-0103
National Association for the Education of Young Children.Help your child build fine motor skills.
Moving With Hope.What does an occupational therapist do for adults?
Choo YY, Agarwal P, How CH, Yeleswarapu SP.Developmental delay: identification and management at primary care level.Singapore Med J. 2019;60(3):119-123. doi:10.11622/smedj.2019025
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