Imagine the scene. A two-year-old is sitting quietly on a mat in the book corner. The child is not looking at any books, though. Instead, they are carefully pulling at individual strands of an increasingly frayed carpet edge. Half an hour later the same child is eating their lunch and is struggling to use a spoon and a fork together. This sort of situation begs the question: what are typical fine motor skills and how can we best support their development?
A good starting point is to understand how important hand movements are in children's overall development. Being able to use their hands opens up a number of opportunities to children. Firstly, it allows them to take responsibility for their self-care, including feeding and dressing. Self-care is something that allows children to take control and is therefore important for building confidence.
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