The baby is usually born with the hands curled up and this fisted position remains the primary position until the fingers relax and gradually open.  Once the hands fully open, voluntary grasp and release can occur.  Babies begin grasping with the whole hand in a “gross grasp.”  As the hand and fingers strengthen and the baby becomes more goal directed, interest in smaller objects, requiring a more sophisticated grasp occurs.  First the baby scoops objects such as cheerios into the palm of the hand.  This is called palming objects.  Then the thumb pushes objects into the side of the index finger.  This is called  Lateral Pinch.  Over the course of the first year,  the thumb moves further away from the palm and can reach to the finger tips.  This leads to the pinch or pincer grasp.   This position is key for most refined manipulation and finger dexterity.  When a pincer grasp is not developed, clumsy attempts are seen when engaging in fine motor and self help activities such as buttoning and picking up small objects. Trouble with hand writing frequently occurs later.

Developing a pincer grasp is not the end of hand development.  Each finger has to learn how to move independently.  Each side of the hand has a unique job to do. Being able to hold onto something while the thumb and index manipulate something else is called Pocket Release.

Finger dexterity develops as the hands get stronger and the fingers learn to move separately.  To ensure growth in this area it is important to first refer to the hand strengthening section.  This in turn will direct you to trunk strengthening so you might just start there.  It’s up to you.

Recommended Age Specific Activities Follow Below:

Infants and Babies: 

Provide touch experiences by gently rubbing the opening hand on soft and textured surfaces.  You may refer to Tactile Exploration for more ideas here.

Provide safe objects for the baby to grasp.

Play early hand games:  Open Shut Them

                                        Where’s Thumbkin

                                        Waving “hi”  “bye”

Encourage pointing and poking  (toys, pictures in books ... not the dog’s eye)

Assist in turning pages of board books (Lift slightly then guide the baby’s fingers to complete the movement)

Grasp release games:  This will drive you crazy in the height chair during dinner, but it is an all time favorite of the little “diner.”

Pointing the Index Finger is very important for finger dexterity

Toddlers and Preschoolers:

Continue with the activities listed above but ramp it up.  Hand games become more complex, grasping leads to goal directed activity which requires specific manipulations (movements).

Encourage pointing in the following activities:

Playdough:  Poking holes in the mound or ball of dough

Paint or ink pad:  dip/press finger in the color then dot a paper with colored finger-great to do with thumb also.

Shaving cream pictures:  Tell the child to make a fist then point index-then scribble designs in the shaving cream that the child just spread with both open hands all over the table.

Encourage pincer grasp:

Find small objects (safe if child still mouthing things) to pick up.  Food serves as a great opportunity here.  Cut small chunks of cheese rather than slices (this is better for oral motor control as well).  Ditto with meat-ask at the deli for one thick slice that you later cut into chunks rather than slices.  Ditto fruits etc.

Photos:  Eileen Counihan

Decorating:  paper, cupcakes-whatever.  Dig into those junk drawers that haven’t been weeded out for a while.  No doubt you will find buttons and other sundry things to donate to the arts and craft bin for future gluing.  Obviously for food we’re talking edible bits from the cabinet!

Toys which require manipulation:  Duplos are my favorite because the fingers are spread out to hold and pull.  Smaller blocks do not provide that exercise.  Look in the toy cabinet/box/closet.  Then, look at the toy or game and think about how the object(s) are used.  If the fingers have to pick up carefully or stretch in new ways,  it is probably good to try every now and again.

Photo:  Eileen Counihan

In these pictures, the toddlers are presented with objects to be manipulated in new ways thereby challenging the hands ... skinny flexible string, round cups needing to be pulled apart and dog bowls needing to be stacked.

Good time to address toy presentation:  Dig into the toy storage box, drawer, closet or whatever, and bring out one or two new items every few days. Put the others away.  Novelty is key.  Once children have played with something a few times  they are usually ready to move on.  Except for the one or two favorite toys.  Keep those available because it is comforting to the child to have one or two activities that make the child feel successful.

Hand play continues:  Itsy Bitsy Spider,  Here is the Church ... Counting fingers

                                   

Songs including hand motions (Wheels on the Bus, Little Rabbit in the Woods)

Simple hand  (mitten style) and finger puppets

Simple hand signals (thumbs up or down,  “A-OK”, V for victory)

Preschool and Early Elementary:

Hand Play Games:  Thumb Wars,  Paper Scissor Rock Shoot

Shadow puppets

Simple and more complex hand puppets (fingers divide into different sections)

Simple Sign Language 

Craft Activities:  All of them

Simple household tools:  If the hand and fingers are strong enough these items help strengthen finger muscles and increase the dexterity when using  a pincer grasp.

Eye droppers

Tweezers

Tongs

Screw driver (supervised!)

Also:  Unscrewing toothpaste caps

          Buttons and buckles (hard to find these days)

How do you know if the hands/fingers are not strong enough: 

If the thumb bends backward at the tip (hyperextension)

If the object is manipulated by pressing the thumb into the palm rather than finger tip

If all the fingers hold on rather than just the index finger

Games:  especially those that require manipulation of multiple small objects.  A few are listed below as examples:

Mancala   Operation      Card Playing :  Refer to Blog entry on Travel

Tricky Fingers                       Turning inside out        Moving one finger at a time

Musical Instruments:  All of them ...

Elementary School and Beyond:

All of the above activities can be applied in more challenging ways for the older child, teenager and adult.  Obviously the level of instruction for a preschooler when teaching the piano will be different than for the adult.  But the actions still help build motor sequencing and coordination.

While the three year old will poke and roll a clump of modeling clay, the teenager can engage in very creative sculpting.  This does not require thousands of dollars in art lessons.  Any local art supply warehouse will likely have large hunks of clay  that are very affordable.  With a plastic bag or a large plastic bucket (such as the empty bin sitting in the garage after all the salt was used up melting ice this winter) the clay can be stored indefinitely.

Yarn stores are usually quite happy to teach the neophyte knitter.  Beading is becoming quite popular and while it is fun to have a “Making Jewelry Birthday  Party,”  at an expensive shop, by going on line, you can find places where you  buy beads in bulk.  In the toy store and fancy boutiques you are generally paying for all that packaging.   Bulk is better for the budget and for the world.   Get together with several others to split the order and cost.

And remember,  when the older child plays Solitaire, suggest that the computer get turned off and the cards come out of the drawer.