Tiny Muscles
An integral part of development for children in their early years is the development of motor skills. These have nothing to do with engines but all to do with muscle movement. Not all muscles are the same and not all muscles develop in the same way or at the same rate. Large muscles develop quicker, which is why children learn to walk early on in life. Smaller muscles such as those which govern the use of hands and fingers, develop later and more slowly.
Fine motor skills are the ability to make movements using the small muscles in our hands and wrists. We rely on these skills to do key tasks in school, at work, and in everyday life. These small movements come so naturally to most people that we usually don’t think about them. But fine motor skills are complex. They involve a coordinated effort between the brain and muscles.
This is what these seemingly ‘playful’ moments are achieving for your little ones: the development of fine muscle movement.
