Back to School Season is upon us, and there are so many options to choose from nowadays when it comes to school supplies. I am sharing my favorite school supplies that promote fine motor, attention, and sensory development. First up, here are my favorite products to promote fine motor skills for preschoolers and kindergateners!
Here are my top five products I recommend:
Spring-assisted scissors help students open and close the scissors when first learning to cut. The spring assist can be flipped down and used as standard scissors when the child is ready to build independence and have strengthened the arches of the hand enough to open and close the scissors independently.
Little crayons for little hands! Short writing utensils promote strength and coordination for fine motor skills, promoting pencil grasp development and handwriting skills. Crayons require more force to use, which also strengthens the hand. Because they have resistance when they write, using crayons are also easier to control the strokes. You can also break the crayons you have to make them little rather than purchasing crayon rocks, but these crayon rocks also have a slight triangle shape to help with grasp development as well.
Short, triangle pencils promote tripod grasp development and fine motor control. The short size allows for children to have increased control of the pencil, because there is less weight distally from the hand for writing in comparison to long pencils. They are ergonomic for children who are just beginning to write pre-writing strokes and letters.
Keeping with the little theme, short markers also promote grasp development and are ergonomically designed for young children. The markers require less force for coloring, making it easier for kiddos to use for longer periods of time. However, markers have less resistance and are slippery in comparison to other writing utensils, which means they will pose a challenge when fine motor control is the goal like in mazes and handwriting.
Twist n’ write pencils are ergonomic, and are great for kiddos that have difficulty holding the pencil the right way, those that press too hard while writing, and those who have low tone or arthritis. These pencils have an ergonomic design that reduces the pressure on the joints when writing, and because they can only be held in one functional way, they also promote tripod grasp development. There is a learning curve to using twist n’ write pencils, meaning kids need to be shown how to grasp the pencil. I always say, “Pointer in the middle” to help with motor planning how to grasp the twist ‘n write pencils.
There you have it! Little tools for little hands are the best for the preschool and kindergarten age groups. If you have any questions specifically regarding your child, do not hesitate to reach out to an occupational therapist. We are skilled at analyzing the task, environment, and person so that we can recommend the best tools to promote your child’s independence and success.
Note: As an amazon associate, I may earn a small commission on products purchased from the links provided. This does not increase the price of the products, but does help support our small business. I only recommend products that I have researched and tried in my occupational therapy practice.