Your Child’s Developmental Milestones
Watching your child learn and grow is full of small moments and achievements—like when they hold a crayon for the first time or proudly button or zip up their own coat. Mastering these fine motor skills help build independence and confidence every day. Let’s explore what fine motor skills are, why they matter, and how you can support your child’s development.
Fine motor skills are movement and physical development markers focused on smaller muscle groups in the body, like hands, fingers, and wrists. Fine motor skills help your child perform daily tasks and precise movements, like holding and picking up objects. Some fine motor skills examples include grasping a toy or utensil, writing or drawing, putting beads on a string, and buttoning clothes.
While every child is different, there are some typical movement and fine motor skill milestones to watch for. Understanding these key milestones can help you better understand your child’s needs and get support from professionals when necessary. These generally go hand-in-hand with other areas of development, including communication, cognitive skills, and gross motor skills, so it’s important to look at your child’s development holistically.
Between 0-2 months
Between 2-4 months
Between 4-6 months
Between 6-9 months
Between 9-12 months
Between 12-15 months
Between 18 months-2 years
Between 15-18 months
Between 2-3 years
Between 3-4 years
Between 4-5 years
While toys are great, your child can develop a lot of their fine motor skills through ongoing daily tasks. Here are simple, playful ways to support ongoing development at home.
Finger Foods
As your baby grows, encourage self-feeding with age appropriate foods. Start with purees and then move to dissolvable or soft foods on their tray, and then progress to baby feeding spoons and other utensils when appropriate. This will allow them to learn to grab food and utensils, building those core muscles in their hands.
Age-Appropriate Play
Make learning and movement fun! Activities and toys that promote grasping and releasing are a great way to build fine motor skills. Blocks, shape sorters, puzzles, and playdough are great options for play and development. As your child gets older, beads, squeeze toys, and coloring are also fun fine motor skill activities.
Interaction
Children, especially babies and toddlers, tend to model your movements, so interaction is key to building fine motor areas of development. Take a hands-on approach by encouraging them to participate and help with daily activities, such as buttoning or zipping their coat, helping you pick up toys, or playing games together.
“It should be fun. If the parents are having fun, the kid’s having fun — and that’s where the learning is taking place.”
Maggie Dietrich, Physical Therapist, Penfield Children’s Center
Early Intervention Services
Fine motor skills are often less noticeable in the early stages, but can become more noticeable as your child gets older. If you’re worried that something might be off with your child’s development, trust your instincts—you know your little one best. Early support can open doors and help your child reach their full potential.
Talk to Your Pediatrician
If you think your child is experiencing delays with their gross motor skills or other areas of development, check with your pediatrician. They may offer some suggestions and direct you to additional early intervention services. Trust your instincts. If your gut is telling you your little one needs more support, it’s important to continue advocating for your child.
Get a Referral & Evaluation
Your pediatrician may refer you to an early intervention specialist who can help build your child’s fine motor skills. Physical therapists, occupational therapists, and other specialists may also help evaluate your child across all areas of development beyond movement.
Create a Plan
After evaluation, the specialists will work with you to create an ongoing intervention plan to improve fine motor skills and other key areas of development where your child may be experiencing delays. This often consists of a collaborative approach with different therapy methods, at home techniques, and working with your child’s caregivers or daycare teachers.
“A baby’s brain is growing at exponential rates during their first three years. There are so many connections being made at this age, and we don’t really use a ‘wait and see’ approach for children.”
Maggie Dietrich, Physical Therapist, Penfield Children’s Center
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