Fabulous 4's

Being "4" IS fabulous!!  Fine motor skills typically expand significantly for 4 year olds and you might have some adorable artwork starting to decorate your home.  Providing 4 year olds with a variety of tools such as crayons, scissors, playdough, blocks, peg games, and sidewalk chalk will help your pre-K star get ready for more challenging fine motor tasks.
What fine motor developmental milestones can you expect from your 4 year old? Here are a few:

• Traces first name
• Prints some capital letters
• Uses a tripod grasp to hold a pencil or crayon
• Color in the lines
• Cuts out large shapes such as a circle or square
• Completes simple puzzles
• Draws a square
• Pastes and glues appropriately
• Undresses and dresses self with assistance--will likely need assistance with fasteners
• Buttons and unbuttons large buttons
• Able to pour from a small pitcher

Children love to be praised for their accomplishments!  When they feel good about what they've accomplished, they often want to do it again and again.  This is how they learn! Improving fine motor skills takes repetition so encourage your child to explore and try new activities.