Summer vacation can be lots of fun when your children have plenty to do. Learning and playing go hand in hand. Your children won’t enjoy staying indoors when it’s warm and sunny outside. With this in mind, take a look at the following ways to keep your little ones busy outdoors while also helping to develop their fine motor skills.
1) Chalking The Sidewalk
Sidewalk chalk is chubby and easy to grip. It’s easy for developing artists to use. Encourage your child to draw lines, letters, and shapes in addition to drawing to develop their control of the chalk.
2) Dirt Painting
Dirt painting doesn’t sound like fun to us adults, however, kids adore it! Mix some water and dirt together until it forms a paste. Get some heavy paper or card and a paintbrush and start painting. Be sure to practice writing letters of the alphabet, drawing shapes and so on.
3) Water Painting
Water painting is a lot of fun and doesn’t require any cleaning up afterward. Simply fill a bucket with water, grab a paintbrush and allow your child free reign of your driveway or sidewalk. Younger kids can use a larger brush and a bigger area of ground. Older ones might prefer to use a smaller brush and surface area.
4) Sticks and Stones
Have fun looking for sticks and stones in your backyard or in the park with your kids. Help your child create letters of the alphabet with these. They could perhaps create their own name.
5) Water Fight
Load up those water guns and get ready to have a water fight. Your kids will have a blast while unknowingly working on their hand to eye coordination!
These are just some of the activities you can work on through the summer months. They all develop the fine motor skills necessary for their future. Speak to a pediatric occupational therapist if your little one has difficulty in this area. Remember that all children don’t develop at the same rate.