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Fine Motor Skills with a Marble (or ball)!

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A marble, a small ball, a ball of playdough, a pom pom .... using every day items is important right now for occupational therapists as we work in our telehealth sessions using objects families may already have at home.

These activities using a marble are simple, fun ways to develop a child's fine motor skills.  As an occupational therapist we often address fine motor skills when children have difficulty manipulating tools such as pencils, scissors and glue sticks.  Fine motor skills can affect a child's ability to carry out their self care in using a toothbrush, using cutlery, tying shoes laces or manipulating fastenings such as buttons and zippers.

The main fine motor areas that an occupational therapist may address include:
  • Pincer grasp - This is the neat "pinch" achieved between the thumb and index finger.  
  • Thumb opposition - This refers to the ability of the thumb to rotate and reach to touch all other fingertips of the same hand. 
  • Palmar arches - This refers to the arch formed when we "cup" our hands and is related to the loops of blood vessels which are found in our hands. 
  • Separation of the two sides of the hand - This the use of the thumb, index and third fingers of the hand whilst maintaining stability in the fourth and fifth fingers of the hand. 
  • Wrist stability and extension - This is the position of the wrist so that it is resting on the table and slightly extended so that the fingers can be used to control the pencil. This is one of the reasons as occupational therapists, we love to encourage working on a vertical surface or use of a slope board if necessary.
  • Hand strength - This refers to the contraction of the hand muscles to grasp a pencil to control it without fatigue or pain. 
  • In-hand manipulation - This refers to the ability to move items around in the hand using precise finger movements and includes translation, rotation and shift.
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