Developing Fine Motor Skills

I remember when my daughter was only 3 months old and I gave her a jumbo crayon and paper. She obviously wanted to eat it but I held her hand and got her making some markings on the paper. She was only really interested in chewing the crayon but as a mum, I was just excited at the ‘drawing’ she had done and wanted to treasure this for ever! I was a first time mum and it was a bit silly of me to think a 3 month old would have any idea what I was actually trying to get her to do but it got me thinking about how I could help her develop fine motor skills.

Follow the Line is one of the first books my children used when they started pointing their finger. It then got passed on to their cousins and now my great-nephew is using it! (Yes, I feel very old!)

This hardback book is colourful and vibrant,

using bright, contrasting images, from fun animal characters and buildings to various forms of transport. The different textures in the book allow children to practise outlining straight, curvy, zig-zag and swirl lines using their fingers. The easy-to-follow text allows children to stay engaged while they trace the lines with their fingers. Follow the Line encourages children be get to grips with some of the shapes needed to write letters and act as a precursor to writing.

Not only does the book have a tactile stimulus, each page has plenty to talk about. Use the images to talk about what is going on, what might happen next, where is the train going? Each page is an imaginary place for children to talk about and really use it to push their own imagination.

Follow the Line is definitely a book that can be used with all your children as each page is made with card and will stand the test of time. The one my children had has definitely done that as it has been used over and over again.

Keep little fingers busy and encourage fine motor skills with this lovely book, just as my children have!