new for us friday: fine motor FUN with stamp markers

Ever since Owen was teeny and couldn’t manage to figure out the tripod grip (the fancy name for the proper way to hold a pencil or pen), I’ve been on a perpetual search for ways to work on all of my kids’ fine motor skills.

We tried everything: hole punching, beading, nuts and bolts (oh yes we did!), pop beads, chopsticks, playdough, sewing,  you name it.

Painting, cutting, coloring, stringing snacks, pointing, playing, and wiggling.

I did a whole lot of reading on the subject of the tripod grip only to learn that it needs to be directly taught because to many children, it is not at all natural.  And children need to be corrected early so that mistakes don’t become bad habits.

And though I am fully aware of the fact that the writing that our kids will do in their lives will most likely be a fraction of what we have done–because of the technology at their fingertips–I do know that every child does need to be able to properly hold a writing utensil.  They must write their names on all of their papers and sign their works of art.  That will never change.

But I do know that every child’s abilities develop at different speeds.

Family and parenting expert Joanna Nesbit states, ‘. . . putting pencil to paper is a complicated developmental task for youngsters, and everyone progresses at her own rate based on a variety of factors, including the development of fine-motor skills, hand-eye coordination and cognitive abilities’ “Handwriting Help for Kids“. 

So I’m all for trying to work on what I can, while I am able.

Here’s the skinny. . .

• Fine Motor FUN with Stamp Markers (from Melissa & Doug):  A totally new-for-us product that we’ve recently run across is Melissa & Doug’s Stamp Markers.

These are stamp sets-meet-markers-meet puzzles-meet-activity pads.

I love them. My kids love them.

 

We’ve taken them on road trips, on plane rides (to Disney!), doctors’ offices.  Cora uses hers on the occasions when she’s had to sit through meetings with me or wait in the car pick-up line.  Simple fun.  With no mess. 

Blue Stamp Marker Set and Pink Stamp Marker Set, we have them both, and we love them both.  And at about 5 bucks a piece, it’s a great price if you ask me.

Again, from expert Joanna Nesbit, ‘Fine-motor skills — the ability to use fingers, hands and wrists for small, controlled movements — are essential for kids to be able to write letters and words legibly. Children typically develop their fine motor skills in a natural progression throughout early childhood, but these skills come easier for some than for others. Parents can help. . . ‘

Yes. Parents can help–and I’m betting they all would with the right bits of direction.  Happy fine-motor-skill tuning!

 

fyi: This blog post is part of an incentivized online influencer network for Mom’s Homeroom. Mom’s Homeroom is brought to you by Frosted Mini-Wheats.

As a Melissa & Doug Blog Ambassador, I did receive this product as part of the Blog Ambassador program; affiliate links are included in this post, so if you click on them and choose to buy the product, awesome–I’d appreciate it tremendously!