20 Best Toys to Develop Fine Motor Skills
Looking for toys to help my little one develop fine motor skills has been quite the adventure! Today, I’m excited to share with you the 20 best finds I’ve come across.
As a parent, I’ve noticed that while gross motor skills like running and jumping come naturally to toddlers, fine motor skills, like precise hand movements, require a bit more attention and practice
Watching my youngest, Zeke, attempt to jump with all his might is both heartwarming and hilarious. It’s moments like these that remind me of the importance of nurturing fine motor skills in our little ones.
Developing Fine Motor Skills
So, let’s dive into this list of fine motor toys that not only entertain but also help develop those essential skills!
Toys for Teaching Fine Motor Skills
Shake and Match Shape Sorter
First on our list of toys to develop fine motor skills we have the 6 sided Shake N Match Shape Sorter.
Crafted from high-quality Baltic Birch plywood and hardwood, the 6 Sided Shake’n Match Shape Sorter offers a multifaceted approach to learning and skill-building. Featuring colored shapes including a circle, square, trapezoid, triangle, star, and half-circle, each filled with beads, this sorter provides endless opportunities for sensory exploration and fine motor development.
Children can remove the shapes by stretching the orange elastic at the top or bottom or through the cutouts on the sides, promoting coordination and problem-solving skills. As they match shapes and colors, they’ll also enhance their cognitive abilities and spatial awareness.
Built to last, this durable sorter will remain a cherished part of your family’s toy collection for years to come. Prepare for hours of engaging play and skill development with the 6 Sided Shake N Match Shape Sorter – where learning and fun go hand in hand!
Fine Motor Skills Game
Get ready for a ramen rumble with the Noodle Knockout! Fine Motor Game from Learning Resources! This engaging game is not just about fun – it’s about building essential preschool fine motor skills while having a blast.
As kids dive into the noodle-filled excitement, they’ll snag oodles of noodles and toppings to create delicious bowls of ramen, all while refining their hand-eye coordination and dexterity with fine motor chopsticks.
With 10 double-sided order cards, kids also get to practice early preschool counting and color recognition skills, adding an educational twist to the fun. Designed for 1-4 players, this versatile game offers multiple ways to play – whether it’s testing fine motor skills solo or competing with friends.
Ramen Fine Motor Game is the perfect recipe for skill development and fun-filled learning!
Buster the Buckle Toy
This mom-approved, child-tested toys are not just for play – they’re designed for learning and development. With multiple ways to engage, this sensory stuffed toy offers a wealth of opportunities for sensory exploration, fine motor skill development, and learning.
Featuring a zipper pocket, numbers, shapes, and six colorful buckles with different clasps, this toy is perfect for teaching early life skills to curious minds aged 12 months and up. Measuring 6.5” x 6.5”, it’s compact and easy to take on the go, making it an ideal quiet travel fidget toy that can be clipped to a stroller, high chair, or car seat to keep kids busy and entertained.
Crafted from pillow-like material in a cheerful green hue, this plush square is not just a toy – it’s a tool for aiding in the development of fine motor and problem-solving skills, making it suitable for toddlers and those with special needs alike.
Early Learning Ready, Set, Cut!
Prepare your little ones for scissor mastery with Ready, Set, Cut! This innovative toy teaches kids how to use scissors effectively by guiding them to follow and cut along dotted lines with easy-squeeze scissors. As children engage with this interactive activity, they not only refine their scissor skills but also enhance their fine motor abilities.
With each precise snip, they gain confidence and control over their hand movements, laying a solid foundation for future dexterity and coordination. Ready, Set, Cut is the perfect way to foster fine motor skill development in a fun and engaging manner – get ready to watch your child’s skills soar!
The Wikki Stix Book of Wiggles, Squiggles & Curlicues
Get ready for hands-on fun with this interactive Wikki Stix book, designed for children ages 3 and up. Each page features charming illustrations with missing elements, waiting to be completed with Wikki Stix.
This book offers endless opportunities for creativity and fine motor skill development. Not only does it enhance learning of colors, but it also provides valuable assistance for special needs children, thanks to its heavy board pages that are easy to turn and Wikki Stix that aid in pointing and pressing.
Dive into a world of imagination and skill-building with the Wikki Stix Book – where every page brings new adventures and learning opportunities!
Super Shapes Magnetic Maze
Prepare to be amazed as your little ones embark on a journey of discovery with our Magnetic Maze Blocks. As they wield magnetic wands, guiding blocks through the maze and dropping them into their designated zones, you’ll witness the joy of sorting vibrant colors and engaging shapes.
This captivating experience not only ignites their learning potential but also enhances their fine motor skills and sharpens hand-eye coordination. With powerful magnets embedded in both the wand and the blocks, the wand effortlessly attracts and glides the blocks, providing an upgraded magnetic strength that ensures uninterrupted playtime fun.
Say goodbye to weak magnetism and frequent dropping – and hello to a world of endless learning and exploration with Magnetic Maze Blocks!
No-Spill Paint Cups & Brushes Assortment
Say goodbye to messy art sessions with spill-proof paint cups! These ingenious cups are designed to keep paint securely contained, preventing spills and messes during creative activities. As children delve into arts and crafts projects, they can focus on unleashing their creativity without worrying about accidental spills.
Plus, by independently handling the cups and brushes, kids can enhance their fine motor skills while exploring various crafting techniques. With spill-proof paint cups, the only thing that spills is creativity!
Little Hands String & Beep: A Fun Path to Fine Motor Skills Development
With Little Hands String & Beep, kids can embark on a delightful journey of stringing together big, chunky wooden pieces to create their own vehicles. From ice cream trucks to ambulances, taxis, and fire engines, the possibilities are endless! Stringing beads is not only a fun activity but also a fantastic way to enhance fine motor skills and manual dexterity in children. The set includes 12 wooden beads, a wooden needle, cotton lace, stopper, and a sturdy wooden storage tray for easy cleanup and organization.
Recommended for children aged 3 years and older, Little Hands String & Beep offers a hands-on approach to learning and skill development. Get ready to lace up and let the creativity roll with this engaging and educational toy!
Play-Doh: Toolin’ Around Playset
With the Play-Doh Tools set, kids can hammer, extrude, roll, and cut their way to endless fun and skill development.
From hammering out terrific tool creations to extruding fun shapes with the multi-tool, featuring a wrench, saw, knife, and more, the possibilities are endless. With the included accessories like scissors, roll ‘n cut dowel, extruders, and molds, kids can explore their imagination while refining their fine motor skills.
Plus, with a variety of Play-Doh colors to choose from, creativity knows no bounds. Get ready for hours of sculpting, shaping, and molding fun with Play-Doh Tools – the ultimate tool for unleashing creativity and building fine motor skills!
Melissa and Doug Basic Skills Board – Bear
Designed to foster independence and fine motor skills, this developmental toy is a game-changer for children aged 3 to 5. With a buckle, button, lace, and snap, kids can embark on a journey of mastering independent dressing skills while having a blast.
Featuring six removable pieces and a cheerful bear puzzle board, this activity set provides endless opportunities for engaging, screen-free fun. Each skill is contained on a separate wooden puzzle piece, making practice easy and enjoyable.
As children tackle zipping, buckling, snapping, lacing, and tying, they not only develop essential life skills but also enhance their fine motor abilities. Give the gift of skill-building and joy with the Melissa & Doug Basic Skills Puzzle Board – because getting dressed shouldn’t be a puzzle, it should be an adventure!
Beads & Pattern Cards Set; 108 Beads-Assorted Colors/Sizes
With colorful beads and pattern cards in hand, children embark on a journey of discovery and learning. As they match and follow patterns from the cards, they engage in a fun-filled activity that provides valuable patterning practice – a crucial foundation for early reading and math activities.
Through patterning, students not only learn to recognize order and predictability but also develop essential problem-solving skills as they compare, contrast, and investigate different patterns. But that’s not all – this hands-on toy also serves as a catalyst for fine motor skill development, equipping kids with the dexterity needed for tasks like writing and dressing themselves.
From mastering basic shapes like circles and squares to exploring more complex geometrical concepts like octagons, this toy offers a holistic learning experience that sets the stage for lifelong academic success.
Story Time Finger Puppets
Story finger puppets aren’t just adorable companions for imaginative play – they’re also fantastic fine motor skills toys that can enhance learning in young children. As children manipulate the puppets with their fingers, they engage in intricate movements that help develop and strengthen their fine motor skills.
From carefully positioning the puppets on their fingers to animating them during storytelling, children exercise control and precision, honing their hand-eye coordination and finger dexterity. Additionally, story finger puppets offer a dynamic way to introduce language concepts, encourage creativity, and foster social interaction, making them invaluable tools for early childhood development.
Super Sorting Pie
Dive into the world of learning with this set of 60 counters! Featuring seven fruits in five vibrant colors, including apples, bananas, grapes, oranges, grapefruits, apricots, and plums, this set is perfect for engaging children in a variety of kindergarten readiness skills.
With the included Activity Guide, you’ll discover fun ideas for sorting, matching, identifying colors and attributes, creating patterns, and counting. Make math come alive by using the fruit counters for early addition and subtraction exercises. Extend the fun with pretend pie baking, sharing, and selling – the possibilities are endless!
Sensory Shape Balls
Ideal for toddlers and babies, these sensory balls are the ultimate tool for refining both fine and gross motor skills.
With their vibrant colors, varied sizes, and visually stimulating shapes, they promote tactile exploration and provide endless opportunities for sensory discovery. Get ready for a world of playful learning – grab our bright and colorful sensory balls today!
Color and Shape Sorter Toy
Get ready for an adventure in counting, sorting, and color and shape identification with our versatile sorter! Designed to promote fine motor skills, this wooden toy is tailor-made for toddlers, offering three easy-to-hold basic shapes – square, triangle, and circle – for sorting and organizing fun.
With 10 pieces in total, this sorter encourages dexterity, hand-eye coordination, matching, and spatial relationships. Plus, with its durable child-safe paint finish and solid wood construction, you can rest assured that your little one’s playtime is both safe and enjoyable. Let the learning begin – and watch your child’s skills soar with our multi-tasking shape sorter!
Therapy Putty
Unlock the power of therapy putty, from building fine motor skills to relieving stress or need a fidget, this is a great solution for all ages.
With each squeeze, pinch, stretch, and twist, this versatile putty strengthens hand muscles, improves fine motor skills, and provides a sensory outlet for stress relief.
Featuring five resistance levels – extra soft, soft, medium, firm, and extra firm – our set ensures gradual strength-building and customization for your unique needs. Say goodbye to muscle weakness and stress – and hello to stronger, more agile hands with our therapy putty!
Lace & Trace Dinosaurs
Unleash the Fun with Lacing & Tracing Fine Motor Skills Toys! Get ready for hours of entertainment and skill-building with our Lacing & Tracing activities!
Kids can’t get enough of these colorful, heavy-duty chipboard shapes featuring everything from animals and trains to snacks and more. Not only do these activities promote good penmanship by developing the pincer grip, but they also enhance fine motor control, introduce problem-solving, and encourage quiet play.
With laces measuring 27″ long and easy-to-thread 1″ tips, these toys are perfect for little hands to explore and create. Say goodbye to boredom and hello to endless fun and learning with our Lacing & Tracing toys!
Melissa & Doug Basic Skills Board
Say hello to a world of fun and learning with the Melissa & Doug Basic Skills Board! Featuring a buckle, button, lace, and snap, this interactive toy empowers children to master essential dressing skills while having a blast.
With six removable pieces and a friendly bear puzzle board, this activity set is designed to keep young minds engaged and smiling. But the benefits don’t stop there – our life skills toys are also ideal for honing fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination in children aged 3 to 5.
Whether as a gift or an addition to your child’s playtime repertoire, the Basic Skills Board promises hours of screen-free fun and skill-building. Join the Melissa & Doug legacy of quality playtime – because every child deserves the gold standard in childhood play!
Crayola My First Crayola Triangular Crayons 8ct
Triangular shaped crayons aren’t just for coloring – they’re a game-changer for little hands learning to write and draw! With their unique design, these crayons effortlessly guide children’s fingers into the tripod position, making them ideal for budding artists and writers. Plus, they’re washable with warm water and a sponge, ensuring easy cleanup after every creative session.
Available in a vibrant assortment of colors, including black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, violet, and yellow, these crayons are a must-have addition to any child’s art supply collection. Say goodbye to frustration and hello to confident strokes – with triangular shaped crayons, the world is your canvas!
Busy Book to Teach Fine Motor Skills on the Go
Say goodbye to chaos and hello to productivity with this Montessori busy board! Designed to captivate little minds while keeping them quietly engaged, this versatile tool is a parent’s dream come true.
Not only does it help children learn essential life skills and hone their fine motor abilities, but it also provides a peaceful environment for you to tackle your own tasks. From alphabet and number learning to color recognition and shape sorting, each activity promotes cognitive development and fosters creativity.
Plus, with features like a DIY drawing board and life skills learning stations, the possibilities for exploration are endless. Give your child the gift of focused learning and quiet play with the Montessori busy board – the ultimate multitasking marvel!
Do you have a kid who fidgets? Read about Fidget Cubes and Fidget Toys.
I hope these fine motor toys for helping fine motor skills for toddlers helps you choose the right toddler fine motor toys to help your tot grow and learn.
What are your favorite toys for developing fine motor skills? Leave a comment!
