When you think fine motor skills, don’t forget the feet!

Since your toddler was very little, you will probably have been aware of (perhaps even a bit obsessed by) how their fine motor skills are developing. Reaching, grasping and moving their fingers are so important for all kinds of life skills – and achievements that are often celebrated for your baby as they grow. But it’s easy to forget that fine motor skills involve all the small muscle groups in your child’s body – and that includes their eyes, mouth and even their toes!  

Feet, and particularly toes, are important for maintaining balance^[1] and being able to move easily, and these muscles are often adjusting to new shoes, surfaces or speeds to make sure balance and posture can be maintained as we walk.  

We don’t often think about building up, or exercising, the muscles in our feet specifically and this is partly because simply moving around is doing this all the time.  

Letting your toddler move as much as possible, and in bare feet when you can (so they can use their foot’s full range of movement and really wiggle those toes), will be doing plenty to build up their feet-based fine motor skills. 

If you want to add to their experience, and make sure those toes are getting a good workout, there are plenty of ways you can get their feet moving differently while having fun... 

• Add some simple stretches or yoga routines to your day. 
• Dance as much as possible, wiggling your feet and stretching up to tiptoes. 
• Point with your toes instead of your finger when you’re playing at home. 
• Challenge your toddler (and yourself) to move or pick up items with toes. 
• Try to explore without shoes when it’s safe to do so – see how many different surfaces you and your toddler can experience with bare feet. 
• Sing rhymes like ‘This Little Piggy’ that involve stroking or wiggling toes. 
• Give your toddler a gentle foot massage – or a tickle if they enjoy this sensation. 

References: 

[1] Chou, S. W., Cheng, H. Y. K., Chen, J. H., Ju, Y. Y., Lin, Y. C., & Wong, M. K. A. (2009). ‘The role of the great toe in balance performance’. Journal of Orthopaedic Research, 27(4), 549-554.