0–9 months – See this age across all domains Infants

What educators might observe

• Discovers fingers and toes
• Holds feet in hands or put hands in mouth
• Opens and closes hands
• Grips caregiver’s finger or similar object
• Coordinates hands and eyes when reaching for and holding a toy, such as a rattle
• Reaches out and pushes ball
• Picks up an object, such as a rattle , turns it over, and drops it
• Grasps objects in each hand and bangs them together

Ways educators might support the child's development

• Speak gently to the baby grasping your finger in a fist
• Gently touch the baby’s hands so that they can become aware of them
• When child is able to sit upright in a chair or high chair offer them soft finger foods that they can feel and pick up, such as cereal rings and very soft vegetables

8–16 months – See this age across all domains Infants

What educators might observe

• Uses forefinger and thumb to pick up smaller objects like cereal or pasta
• Picks up small blocks and drops them into a container
• Practices placing objects on top of one another, such as blocks or stacking cups
• Grasps the string of a pulltoy
• Makes holes with one finger in play dough
• Points, with index finger extended and other fingers in a fist

Ways educators might support the child's development

• Include materials in the learning environment that foster fine motor skills
  • Nesting toys
  • Linking rings
  • Busy boxes
  • Cloth books
  • Squishy balls
• Observe and reflect to the child what their hands are doing
• Provide objects of different textures for the child to hold or bang; describe what the child is doing (“You are holding that spoon so tightly. You opened your fingers and let it go.”)
• Support the child’s sense of dignity and autonomy by allowing them to choose what to do with their hands; avoid manipulating the child’s hands for them

15–24 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe

• Holds a truck in one hand and uses the other hand to explore the wheels
• Pulls toys by tugging on a string
• Holds on to two blocks while trying to reach for another block
• Uses large brush to stand and paint at the easel
• Holds board book upright and turns the pages
• Holds a crayon between fingers and thumb and scribbles with big arm movements
• Uses wrist to rotate knob puzzle pieces to fit them in puzzle board

Ways educators might support the child's development

• Acknowledge the child’s efforts at mastery of their fine motor skills and share authentic praise of their accomplishments
• Sings songs in which the child can observe your hand movements, such as “The Itsy Bitsy Spider” and “Little Fish, Little Fish, Swimming through the Water”

24–36 months – See this age across all domains Toddlers

What educators might observe

• Use child-safe scissors in one hand to make snips in a piece of paper
• Strings large wooden beads onto a shoelace
• Balances 5–6 blocks on top of one another
• Open a door by turning the round handle
• Picks up a cup with one hand to drink from it
• Turns the pages of a paper book one at a time

Ways educators might support the child's development

• Include materials in the learning environment that foster fine motor skills
  • Balls
  • Blocks
  • Cardboard tubes to string with yarn
  • Knob puzzles
  • Large pegboards
  • Modeling compound
  • Spoons and scoops in sand and water areas
  • Cloth to collage
  • Safety scissors
  • Paper to crumple/rip
  • Variety of painting supplies

3-year-olds – See this age across all domains Preschool

What educators might observe

• Uses crayon, marker, or pencil to draw lines and rough circles and shapes that may resemble letters and people
• Turns the pages of a book one at a time
• Builds a tower of 8 or more small blocks
• Cuts across small piece of paper with scissors
• Pinches, pounds, rolls, and squeezes clay
• Can place and remove a cookie cutter from a mound of clay
• Places small pegs in in pegboard
• Pours water from a small pitcher into a cup with minimal spillage
• Can use forks, spoons, or chopsticks

Ways educators might support the child's development

• Include materials in the learning environment that foster fine motor skills
  • Safety Scissors
  • Magazines to tear and cut
  • Clay and play dough
  • Small blocks
  • Duplos
  • Fingerpaint
  • Easel painting
  • Pegboards
  • Puzzles
  • Small cups and containers in the sand and water areas
  • Chunky crayons
  • Stickers
  • Large wooden beads for stringing

4-year-olds – See this age across all domains Preschool

What educators might observe

• Strings small beads onto laces
• Builds a tower of 10 or more blocks
• Hits nails and pegs with a hammer
• Forms shapes and designs out of clay (such as cookies with chips or snakes with eyes)
• Buttons medium-large buttons when dressing themselves
• Cuts along a line
• Pulls tape off a dispenser, then attempts to tape items to a page or form tape into a ball

Ways educators might support the child's development

• Include materials in the learning environment that provide a variety of opportunities for practicing writing and drawing
  • Markers
  • Colored pencils
  • Dry erase boards
  • Slates with chalk
  • Bingo markers
  • Oil pastels
  • Magnetic writing boards
  • Playground chalk
  • Watercolor painting supplies
• Practice writing letters in materials that provide sensory input, such as trays of shaving cream or sand

5-year-olds – See this age across all domains Preschool

What educators might observe

• Consistently uses their right or left hand
• Tears a small piece of tape off a tape dispenser
• Uses scissors with one hand to cut out shapes
• Uses pencil to copy many shapes and letters; these may be overly large or rough looking but the letter will be apparent
• Spins a top
• Zips up own coat

Ways educators might support the child's development

• Include materials in the learning environment that foster fine motor skills
  • Geoboards
  • Legos
  • Bottles of glue
  • Tape
  • Wire
  • Plasticine
  • Small beads for stringing
  • T ops
• Show sensitivity to children’s flexible directionality, and demonstrate left to right directionality with writing and counting, as on a number line

6-year-olds – See this age across all domains Early elementary

What educators might observe

• Cuts out a shape, such as a house, with scissors
• Uses a pencil to write letters
• Makes braided chains of yarn or finger-knits
• Uses a large needle and thread to sew a pouch or a pattern
• Weaves yarn or strips of paper together
• Grips and squeezes a paper punch or pliers
• Ties shoelaces in bow

Ways educators might support the child's development

• Include materials in the learning environment that foster fine motor skills
  • Legos
  • Geoboards
  • Clay
  • Yarn
  • Sewing materials
  • Hand looms
  • Scissors
  • Hole punches
  • Hammer and nails
  • Drill
  • Pliers

7-year-olds – See this age across all domains Early elementary

What educators might observe

• Uses saws and hammers to build a construction
• Peels carrots and potatoes efficiently with a peeler
• Writes using letters that are the same size; stays on line when writing
• Knits a scarf
• Uses appropriate pressure when writing

Ways educators might support the child's development

• Provide opportunities for children to use their fine motor skills for meaningful work such as
  • Using a knife to spread cream cheese or nut butter on crackers or celery
  • Cutting and coring apples with an apple corer
  • Peeling carrots and potatoes for soup
  • Tying shoelaces
  • Using a screwdriver to fix a desk
  • Knitting a scarf
  • Making their own books and comics

8-year-olds – See this age across all domains Early elementary

What educators might observe

• Folds paper into simple origami shapes
• Cuts out complex shapes
• Print has a consistent shape and size
• Learns cursive

Ways educators might support the child's development

• Invite a calligrapher to visit the class to demonstrate the beauty of writing
• Encourage children to pay attention to handwriting in the final revision of their writing projects
• Continue to provide time for activities designed to strengthen the muscles in children’s hands
• Provide keyboards for children whose fine motor skills interfere with their ability to express themselves in writing