Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Fine Motor Development Guide

leaf-balancing-2_thumb.jpg

3 Months

  • Hands close reflexively when touched in the palm
  • Hands are loose
  • Attempts to contact a toy

5 Months

  • Fingers scratch on table
  • Actively grasps and holds onto a rattle
  • Holds a cracker

6 Months

  • Palmar grasp on a block
  • Rakes at a cheerio with whole hand
  • Brings objects to mouth

8 Months

  • Inferior scissor grasp
  • Radial palmar grasp on a block
  • Rakes at a cheerio with the index finger side of the hand
  • Holds bottle to drink
  • Transfers objects from hand to hand

10 Months

  • Radial digital grasp on a block
  • Inferior pincer grasp developing
  • Scissor grasp is developed
  • Grasps a cheerio promptly
  • Pokes or points with index finger
  • Able to drop objects

12 Months

  • Neat pincer grasp

13 Months

  • Holds a crayon with the whole hand, thumb up
  • Able to throw a ball
  • Feeds self with a spoon with spilling
  • Drinking from a cup with spilling

2 – 2 1/2 Years

  • Holds a crayon with thumb and all fingers, with thumb pointed down
  • Pours from cup to cup
  • Stabs food with a fork
  • Snips paper with scissors

3 Years

  • Can build a tower of 10 blocks
  • Holds a crayon with fingers
  • Turns pages in a book one by one
  • Eats with fork and spoon with no help
  • Copies lines and circle on paper
  • Cuts paper in half

4 Years

  • Can catch with hands and body
  • Uses a pencil with a static tripod grasp
  • When cutting, turns paper to adjust for shape

5 Years

  • Can throw and catch using just hands
  • Uses a dynamic tripod grasp on a pencil
  • Able to copy a triangle

Looking For More? Try these categories

ADL

Fine Motor

Visual Perceptual

Sensory

Motor Planning

Oral Motor