Fine motor skills use a combination of bodily systems in order to perform small movements, such as writing, eating or picking up items. A person's musculoskeletal system and neurological impulses must be able to communicate with one another in order to perform each set of fine motor skills, according to the American Heart Association. Developmental delays, traumatic brain injury and stroke are all medical conditions that can compromise a person's fine motor skills. Persistence and practice, as well as specific exercises for the hands and fingers can help strengthen fine motor skills.
Strengthen the Fingers
Being able to use fingers is essential for any number of fine motor skills. People who have lost partial use of a hand due to conditions including cerebral palsy or stroke can perform exercises at home with a rubber band and a rubber ball to strengthen their hand and fingers and in turn develop more accurate fine motor skills.
Therapists will instruct you to put a rubber band around one finger, keeping the palm of the hand flat on a table. Use the other hand to pull up on the elastic so that the finger is lifted. Multiple repetitions of this exercise, with each finger taking a turn, stretches out the digits and can help regain flexibility, which is an important part of fine motor movement.
Gripping a rubber ball and squeezing it can help strengthen the fingers as well as the hand muscles.
Play Games
Games can act as exercises to improve fine motor skills, especially those that involve small pieces that must be manipulated as part of play. Traditional childhood games like marbles and jacks and games that require pegging, including cribbage require fine finger movements to place small objects in equally tiny spaces. Repeated motions of this kind can develop the muscles that lead to the easier accomplishing of everyday tasks such as buttoning, tying and feeding oneself.
Strengthen Grip
Using silverware, writing implements and kitchen tools are all types of exercises that can strengthen grip and improve fine motor skills. Cutting out papers with scissors, cutting out cookies with a cookie cutter and handwriting practice fall under the umbrella of strengthening exercises that are commonly used in occupational therapy, according to the American Occupational Therapy Association. Education.com offers a collection of printable handwriting worksheets that can aid children and others with fine motor difficulties to strengthen their skills.
