Using Lacing Cards to Promote Fine Motor Skills

Good control of the hand/wrist muscles makes learning to write SO much easier. Kids who struggle with fine motor strength and/or stamina can find it very frustrating to hold their pencil correctly or be able to write and draw. 

When fine motor skills become strong,learners can focus on what they are doing and learning instead of struggling just to hold their pencil or think about being tired. 

There are many ways to have kids work on their fine motor skills, such as cutting, play-dough  painting, picking up small objects, etc. 

I have found that lacing cards are a  fun, engaging and painless route to increasing hand and finger strength, dexterity, and stamina . I have used them in small groups, centers, morning work, rotations and for early finishers. 

Just remember, the goal is not perfect sewing! The goal is fine motor work which is all about process not product. If cards get tangled, find a couple of able helpers to detangle!

The prep is not a lot, but it is prep, (I like to do my cutting and hole punching while I'm sitting on the couch at night!) I have included a note in each of my lacing card sets to send home with parent volunteers to prep for you! When my kids were little, I loved it when their teachers did this, since I was teaching and couldn't go and volunteer in their classrooms. It helps people feel invested and that they are contributing, even if not physically able to come to school.Plus, the kids are SO proud that their parents are helping out!

Here are some activities I have created to promote fine motor skills in fun & engaging ways!

Lacing mats are very calming as well! There is something about sewing that brings a peaceful feeling. Another fringe benefit to adding them to your centers, morning work, 
small groups, or early finishers tub!

Play-dough is another calming activity. So many fine finger muscles are used to form the
dough, rolling in different ways to get the desired shape is fine motor practice at it's finest!

Cutting activities are great for fine motor too, since building content into the activities is
easy and can be purposeful for practice. An example would be our Magazine Numbers
resource. Cutting out numerals to match to quantities builds fine motor skills while working
on number sense!

I hope your are inspired to intentionally add some fine motor building activities! Your kids will love them and they will make great gains in their hand and motor skills. They'll have so much fun they won't even know you're helping them work-out! :o)