Activity to Build Motor Skills

Play provides an excellent opportunity to improve a child's motor skills.  There are all kinds of activities you can do at home to help your child develop.  In this post we're going to talk about making soap bubbles and how that can improve both gross and fine motor skills.  First, let's talk about the difference between gross and fine motor skills.

Gross vs. Fine Motor Skills

Gross motor skills involve big movements like crawling and walking.  These actions typically involve the arms, legs and feet.  Fine motor skills are small movements like holding a pencil between the fingers or grasping a fork.  With fine motor skills a child is using their hands, fingers, toes and other body parts.  Play encourages the development of both gross and fine motor skills by putting the entire body to work.

Making Soap Bubbles

This activity is easy, fun and messy so you'll want to go outside if possible.  Here's what you'll need:

• One box of all natural soap flakes
• 5 jugs of warm water
• Food coloring 
• A whisk
• A shallow tub or container
• A wand to make bubbles

Have your child dump the soap flakes into the container.  Next, have your child pour in the water. Then, let them stir with the whisk to help dissolve the flakes and create a nice frothy soup.   Add some food coloring for variety.  Spend as much time as you want playing in the soap. Use the wand to make bubbles.  When you're done, just pour the mixture down the sink or into the grass.

The Takeaway

Using the whisk will help your child with both gross and fine motor skills.  They can make big circles in the soap to help their gross motor skills.  Holding the whisk tightly, making smaller circles and using the wrist will aid fine motor skills.  Using a wand to make bubbles also aids with both gross and fine motor skills. During the activity, make sure to engage your child with questions.  Ask them to describe what they see, feel and smell.  See if they can draw conclusions from adding one color to another.  Getting your child to talk about their experience helps with cognition and language.

There are many more activities to help your child build gross and fine motor skills.  In the months ahead we'll present you with different methods for your family to try. If you make this soap with your child let us know what your experience was like in the comments below.

Photo Credit: Bourndesign via Flickr