Fine Motor Skills in Babies and Young Children: Little Hands, Big Development

Have you ever noticed how absorbed a baby can become in something as simple as a rattle?

That little hand opens. Closes. Maybe misses completely. Tries again. And suddenly, success – the rattle is in their grasp.

To us adults, it’s a tiny movement. For a baby, it involves a lot of hard work.

During a child’s first two years, those little hands and fingers go through an impressive amount of development. From the first slightly random attempts to reach for a toy to building a tower, eating with a spoon, turning the pages of a favourite book and insisting on doing everything by themselves.

It’s all part of a child’s fine motor development.

But what exactly are fine motor skills? How are gross motor skills and fine motor skills connected? And how can you, as a parent, support your child’s development?

The good news is that the short answer is: through play.

What are fine motor skills?

Fine motor skills are the small, precise movements we make with our hands and fingers, among other things.

For a baby, this might mean reaching for a rattle, holding a teething ring or moving a toy from one hand to the other.

As a child grows, their movements gradually become more precise. They might try to put a block in the right hole in a shape sorter, stack cups or bring a spoon to their mouth.

Of course, they won’t necessarily succeed every time.

But a spoonful of oatmeal on the floor is fine motor practice too – even if it might not feel that way when you’re cleaning it up afterwards.

That’s an important point when we talk about fine motor skill development in children: young children don’t practise their motor skills in the same way adults think about exercise.

They play. Explore. Repeat.

And try again and again.

Fine and gross motor skills go hand in hand

Although we’re focusing mostly on fine motor skills here, gross and fine motor skills are closely connected.

Gross motor skills involve bigger movements and a child’s control over their body: holding their head up, rolling over, sitting, crawling, standing up and, later, walking and running.

Fine motor skills are all about smaller movements.

But in a child’s development, the two are usually connected.

Imagine a baby who spots an intriguing block on the floor.

First, the baby might need to turn their body, reach for it or crawl over. That’s where gross motor skills come into play.

Then the hand has to grasp the block. The fingers explore it, and perhaps it’s moved from one hand to the other. That’s when fine motor skills come into play.

Later, the child might sit with the same block and try to place it on top of another one.

Of course, the child isn’t thinking: Now I’m practising my hand-eye coordination.

They’re just playing. And exploring the world.

And that’s exactly how it should be.

Encourage their motivation – make it fun

Young children learn best when they feel like it – and you can help spark their motivation. For example, place their favourite cuddly toy just beyond a cushion to encourage them to crawl towards it, or build a little tower of blocks and let them put the last one on top. It doesn’t need to be difficult or carefully planned. Often, it’s enough to start with something your child already finds interesting.

Try giving your child time to find the solution themselves, even if it’s tempting to help right away. When that little hand finally gets the block into the hole, or your child makes it over the cushion on their own, the feeling of I did it myself! can be a huge motivator. And if their interest disappears after two minutes, that’s absolutely fine too. Save the game for another day. Motor development can be full of little successes, curiosity and the desire to try again.

Next, we’ll look at motor development at different ages.

0–6 months: “Can I reach it?”

During the first few months, the world is still very new.

Baby gradually discovers their hands and starts reaching for things more deliberately. What first looks like random arm movements slowly becomes a series of purposeful attempts to grab something.

Fine motor toys for a baby don’t need to do much at this stage.

Quite the opposite.

A lightweight rattle, a soft ball, a teething ring or another easy-to-grasp toy can be more than enough.

A little game: Catch the rattle

Lay your baby on their back or tummy when they’re awake and ready for a little play.

Hold a rattle or other grasping toy where baby can see it and try to reach for it. Move it gently from side to side and give them plenty of time.

When baby gets hold of it, let them explore the toy on their own.

It sounds very simple – and it is.

But baby is practising coordinating what they see with how they move, as well as opening and closing their hand around the toy.

And when baby lies on their tummy and lifts their head and upper body to get a better look at the toy, their gross motor skills get to join in too.

You can also use an activity gym for baby, with toys hanging from it. This gives baby a chance to lie back, look up at the exciting toys and practise reaching for them.

6–12 months: Pick it up, drop it – and do it again

Around this age, hands become especially fascinating.

Baby gets better at grasping and moving things, and may start using their fingers more precisely too.

And then comes a wonderful discovery:

You can let things go.

Of course, that means toys can be dropped from the high chair again and again and again.

As an adult, you might reach a point where you think: Yes, it still falls down.

But for baby, it’s an interesting game. Their hand has to let go at just the right moment, and they’re also discovering what happens next.

Put things in – and take them out again

A lovely, simple fine motor activity is to give your child a small basket or container with a few large, safe objects.

They can take the objects out, explore them and put them back in.

Or simply empty the whole basket onto the floor.

That counts too.

When your child gets a little older, you can show them how to put the objects back in. That way, something as simple as filling and emptying a container becomes a little game.

Stacking cups are wonderful for this too. At first, baby can grasp them and bang them together. Later, they discover that the cups fit inside one another – and later still, that they can be stacked.

That’s the kind of fine motor toy for babies we especially love: simple toys that take on new uses as your child develops.

Around 1 year: I want to do it myself!

As children approach their first birthday, their movements often become more purposeful.

Now it’s time to explore.

Drawers are opened. Things are taken out. Things are put in. Doors are closed. Blocks are moved.

And preferably, it all happens again.

It can be a delightful – and sometimes rather chaotic – age.

But a lot is happening in terms of motor development.

Good fine motor toys for a 1-year-old give your child the chance to grasp, stack, turn, sort and put things in.

The shape sorter is brilliantly simple

There’s a reason the shape sorter is a classic.

Your child picks up a block and tries to fit it through a hole.

Maybe it doesn’t fit.

So they try another hole.

Maybe they turn the block around. Maybe they tap it against the box a few times first.

And then, suddenly: plop.

The block is gone.

For your child, it’s almost magic. And all the while, that little hand has been working to grasp, turn and position the block.

That’s why shape sorters and sorting toys are great fine motor toys for around 1 year of age.

But give your child time to figure it out for themselves. We adults are often far too quick to show them the “right” way to do things.

Sometimes the best help is simply to sit beside them and wait a little.

1–2 years: Little hands can suddenly do so much more

During a child’s second year, fine motor skills become more noticeable in everyday life.

Your child might start stacking several blocks. A simple puzzle becomes interesting. They draw lines and squiggles. They want to eat by themselves – and perhaps put their shoes on by themselves too, whether they’re on the right feet or not.

It’s an age when children are eager to be independent.

And that creates plenty of natural opportunities to develop fine motor skills.

Build a tower – and knock it down again

Building blocks are some of the simplest fine motor toys, but there are so many ways for the play to develop.

Start by building a little tower together.

Let your child put a block on top.

And if they’d much rather knock the tower over?

Let them knock it over.

Next time, they might feel like building one.

Placing blocks on top of one another takes precision and coordination. At the same time, your child learns about size, balance, cause and effect.

Perhaps best of all, there’s no specific end result to the game.

You can always build again.

Fine motor skills in 2-year-olds: More precision, more creativity

Around the age of 2, little hands become steadier, and children can grasp, turn and position things more precisely. A knob puzzle is a great choice: your child has to grip the knob, turn the piece the right way and find where it belongs – and the feeling when it finally fits is hard to beat.

A pull-along toy is a lovely companion at this age too. Your child has to hold onto the string while moving their body, bringing fine and gross motor skills together. 

A hammer bench is another fun way for little hands to practise. As your child grips the hammer and tries to hit the pegs, they develop their grasp, precision and hand-eye coordination – and there’s something wonderfully satisfying about hammering away!

For quieter moments, activity toys with doors, buttons and turning elements or modelling clay offer great opportunities. Little fingers have plenty to do, while your child explores, creates and uses their imagination.

Everyday life is full of fine motor practice

You don’t always need to get the toys out.

Everyday life is full of little fine motor challenges.

When your child tries to bring a spoon to their mouth. When they pull off a sock. When they turn the pages of a board book. Fine and gross motor skills are naturally practised every day.

So feel free to include your child in more of the little things you do every day.

For example, let your child:

• eat with a spoon by themselves when they’re ready

• turn the pages of a sturdy board book

• put toys back in the basket

• stack plastic cups

• help put larger items in a bowl

It might not be the quickest way to get things done. But it can be a lovely way to do them together.

Which fine motor toys should I choose?

If you’re looking for fine motor toys for a baby, toys for a 1-year-old that support fine motor skills or toys for an older child, Lirum Larum Leg has a wide selection of both baby toys and fine motor toys for older children.

Has your baby started reaching for everything? Look for easy-to-grasp toys, such as rattles and activity toys.

Is your 1-year-old fascinated by putting things into containers? A shape sorter or stacking cups could be just the thing.

For 2-year-olds, knob puzzles, hammer benches and modelling clay offer fun play that also challenges little fingers.

Toys can offer a little challenge, but above all, they should encourage your child to have a go.

One of our favourites is a toy that grows with your child and can be used in different ways through several stages of development.

You can find all our top recommendations for fine motor toys for babies and young children here..

Follow your child – not the calendar

When we say “around 1 year” or “around 2 years”, we mean just that: around that age.

Children develop at different rates.

Some children spend a long time exploring a shape sorter. Others have moved on before you’ve even had a chance to unpack it.

Some love sitting with blocks and books for ages. Others would rather crawl, walk and keep moving.

The important thing isn’t whether your child can do a particular thing by a particular age.

Instead, notice what your child is curious about right now, and create little opportunities to try, repeat and discover.

And always choose toys and activities that are suitable for your child’s age. Young children still explore a lot with their mouths, so follow the product’s age and safety guidance and take extra care with small parts.

If you’re concerned about your child’s motor development, or notice that they’re losing skills they previously had, talk to your health visitor or doctor.

Frequently asked questions about fine motor skills in babies and children

What are fine motor skills?

Fine motor skills are the small, precise movements children make with their hands and fingers, among other things. For babies, this might mean reaching for a rattle, while older children use fine motor skills to stack blocks, draw and do puzzles, for example.

How can I help develop my baby’s fine motor skills?

Give your baby opportunities to reach, grasp, hold, release and explore age-appropriate toys on their own. Simple toys such as rattles, grasping toys, balls and stacking cups offer plenty of opportunities for fine motor play.

Which fine motor toys are good for 1-year-olds?

Shape sorters, stacking cups, large building blocks, sorting toys and simple knob puzzles can be good choices around the age of 1. Always follow the age recommendation for each product.

How can you help develop fine motor skills in a 2-year-old?

Let your child build with blocks, draw, play with modelling clay, do simple puzzles and try small everyday tasks by themselves. The most important thing is to give them time to have a go – even when they don’t succeed the first time.

What’s the difference between gross and fine motor skills?

Gross motor skills involve larger body movements such as sitting, crawling, walking and running. Fine motor skills involve smaller, more precise movements, particularly with the hands and fingers. The two types of motor skills often work together during a child’s play.