Why wriggling their fingers might help your toddler with maths
We all instinctively use our fingers to represent quantity – you might hold your fingers up when ordering several drinks in a noisy café or when asking for a table for two in a restaurant. As well as using their fingers to count, young children often use them when they first do calculations. So, we know moving our fingers and counting are linked, but is this more than just our fingers being readily available – or does using their fingers help your toddler understand numbers?
Some studies have found that basic numerical abilities are associated with skills linked to moving fingers (fine motor skills), and awareness of fingers (sensory skills) – known in the research papers as ‘finger gnosis’.[1]
Is it really that hard to put on and take off shoes?
Ever since your toddler first started wearing shoes, it may have seemed like they were on a mission to get them off their feet! But now that they are becoming more capable of planned, controlled movements, your toddler will be less likely to randomly kick their shoes off, and start to take care and time over the process of putting them on and taking them off.
At this stage, we are only expecting your toddler to slip their feet into and out of certain types of shoe. Wellington boots, slippers and wide shoes are best for them to practise with. Footwear with laces – especially boots – are best kept for when their fine motor skills have developed a bit further, but shoes with zips, Velcro® or wide openings will help prepare them for these future types of footwear.
How being energetic and active is great for fine motor development
Toddlers are full of energy, curiosity and intrigue. It feels like they are never still, always moving on to something new. The wonderful thing about this is being busy and active is great for their development! Here we look at some of the benefits movement has on their ever-enhancing fine motor skills.
Being active stimulates their vestibular sense (balance)
Calm Down, Boris by Sam Lloyd
What a wonderful book! Boris is a lovable, cheeky monster who adores giving people a kiss. You can stick your hand into the Boris puppet and bring him to life; your toddler will probably love doing this too!
Being a puppet, Boris' mouth can be opened and closed in the same way that scissors can be opened and closed. This means that even without practising scissor skills, your toddler will be doing the action required for this skill.
Fantastic fingers – why crayons and pencils can wait!
When you think of your toddler learning to write, you probably think about them using a crayon or pencil – not their finger! But using their finger to make a few squiggles is great for their fine motor development and will help them as they begin to understand how moving in different ways makes new marks.
Why might a finger be better than a pencil or crayon at the moment?
Holding, turning, positioning and pushing – interlocking bricks and fine motor skills
Many of us have happy memories of building with LEGO® or the larger DUPLO® blocks, or other sets that need pushing together such as, mobilo®, Stickle Bricks and more. You might have already added something like this to your toddler's toy box, but if not, what do you need to look for and why might now be a good time for this type of toy?
Why interlocking blocks?
Show me, tell me, let me have a go – what’s the best way for your toddler to learn?
You might think a lot about how your toddler learns new words and be conscious of the things you say to them (you might even have been tempted by flashcards, word books or tech that promises to teach new vocabulary). But how often do you think about how your toddler learns actions – do they learn from being shown, told, practising, or maybe a bit of all of those?
You teach your toddler without even thinking about it
Oro-motor skills and why they’re important for your toddler’s speech and eating
When people talk about fine motor skills, they are often referring to developing control of hands and fingers, but it also involves small muscles in other parts of the body. Learning to control their lips and tongue is an important part of your toddler’s eating and learning to talk. Scientists describe movements of the lips, cheeks, jaw and tongue as oral-motor (or oro-motor) skills.
Development begins before birth
Fantastic finger rhymes – why wiggling fingers is great for development
Finger rhymes aren’t just fun to share, they are also a brilliant way to support lots of skills.
Froebel’s finger plays – songs and rhymes can help build relationships
Boxes, lids and tubs – fantastic toys for your toddler
It’s often the simplest things that keep toddlers interested the longest – and a selection of boxes, tubs and lids (maybe with a few items to put inside) can entertain for ages. What’s even better is that playing with them is a brilliant workout for your toddler’s hands.
Your toddler will probably master taking lids off containers before they can put them back on again; this is because placing a lid onto a box or tub involves positioning the lid and keeping the box still as they put the lid on.
