Simple Fine Motor Activities for 18 Month Old

Discover 18 fine motor activities for your 18 month old here.

Did time just fly by and now you have an 18 month old toddler to keep busy? Yeah, me too. While I was looking for fine motor activities for my toddler, I decided to put something together for other moms to make the research process easier.

These toddler fine motor exercises are ideal for strengthening fine motor abilities and preparing small hands and fingers for later-developing skills like handling a pencil and finishing garment fasteners.

Every infant, toddler, and kid grows at their own speed and in their own unique style, making it difficult to assign a certain age to any of these activities. As a result, I believed that a larger age range would be beneficial.

Sensory play, fine motor activities, gross motor activities, and arts and crafts are some of the key areas we might focus on while engaging in learning activities for this age group. Things can get messy, but the learning is important for your toddler development, so let’s get to it!

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What Is Sensory Play

A toddler’s best buddy is sensory play. You may achieve a lot with a sensory exercise, from just introducing your child to new experiences to boosting language and providing possibilities for pretend play.

When we hear the word “sensory play,” we often think of “messy.” This does not need to be the case!

You’ll discover a few of alternatives here that are just as entertaining without the clutter. Making a mess, on the other hand, is acceptable. Place a towel on the floor and wrap yourself in it, just make sure you’re allowing some sort of play that helps the child’s development of fine motor skills.

Why fine motor activities?

Fine motor abilities refer to the coordination of tiny muscles in our fingers and hands. The development of fine motor skills happens overtime and every child learns these skills at different rates.

A baby’s development of fine motor abilities is critical. They utilise the tiny muscles of the hands and fingers to grab and control items. They enable us to generate movement, coordination, and strength in our hands as we go about our daily activities.

These abilities and muscles are used by adults to write, type, feed themselves, turn a door knob, sew a button, give a massage, prepare dinner, and much more. These muscles must be fine-tuned in order for us to live a prosperous life.

See also: Water Table Activities For Toddlers

Fine Motor Activities for 18 Month Old

1. Play with stacking cups.
2. String large beads onto a shoelace.
3. Use toddler-friendly tweezers to pick up small objects.
4. Play with playdough, squeezing and rolling it.
5. Scribble with chunky crayons or markers.
6. Sort and stack wooden blocks.
7. Use a toy hammer and pegs.
8. Play with a simple shape sorter.
9. Practice buttoning and unbuttoning large buttons.
10. Flip through board books with sturdy pages.
11. Build with soft foam blocks.
12. Complete simple puzzles with large pieces.
13. Play with interlocking plastic building blocks.
14. Practice tearing paper into small pieces.
15. Turn the pages of a touch-and-feel book.
16. Play with a toy kitchen and utensils.
17. Use a child-safe scissors to cut paper.
18. Try lacing cards or boards.
19. Open and close latches on a latch board.
20. Explore stickers and peel them off.
21. Use a dropper to transfer water between containers.
22. Play with a busy board with various tactile elements.
23. String Cheerios or pasta onto a piece of spaghetti.
24. Create art with finger paints.
25. Play with a toy cash register and coins.
26. Practice folding and unfolding a washcloth.
27. Use clothespins to attach small items to a line.
28. Play with a play kitchen and pretend food.
29. Practice turning knobs on toy appliances.
30. Put together a simple wooden train track.
31. Build with magnetic building tiles.
32. Play with a sensory bin filled with rice, beans, or sand.
33. Try stamping with large ink pads and stamps.
34. Play with nesting dolls.
35. Work with sticker books or sticker scenes.
36. Fill and dump containers with small objects.
37. Practice screwing and unscrewing toy screws.
38. Build with soft, foam interlocking shapes.
39. Play with a shape-matching toy.
40. Use a dropper to create art with watercolors.
41. Practice squeezing a spray bottle with water.
42. Play with a toy doctor’s kit.
43. Sort and match colored pom-poms.
44. Explore a sensory bag filled with gel and small toys.
45. Practice rolling and unrolling playdough snakes.
46. Play with a bead maze toy.
47. Create art with stickers and paper.
48. Build with soft, flexible interlocking toys.
49. Play with a toy farm set and animals.
50. Use a magnetic drawing board to create doodles.
51. Play with large cardboard building blocks.
52. Use a toy wrench to twist nuts and bolts.
53. Experiment with foam stickers on a window.
54. Sort and stack wooden pattern blocks.
55. Play with a toy cash register and pretend money.
56. Create a sensory bottle with small objects and water.
57. Practice rolling small balls of playdough.
58. Play with a mini shopping cart and plastic groceries.
59. Thread large pasta shapes onto yarn.
60. Play with a busy box filled with small toys.
61. Try transferring beads with a spoon.
62. Play with a toy construction set and screws.
63. Experiment with a sensory bag filled with hair gel.
64. Practice turning the pages of a fabric book.
65. Use a toy fishing pole to catch magnetic fish.
66. Build with soft foam, oversized LEGO-style blocks.
67. Play with a magnetic dress-up doll.
68. Practice stacking and nesting wooden rings.
69. Create art with foam stickers and paper.
70. Play with a musical instrument set (e.g., tambourine, xylophone).
71. Try stacking and balancing wooden blocks.
72. Play with a toy mailbox and letters.
73. Use a dropper to mix colors in water.
74. Sort and match colored buttons.
75. Play with a set of large interlocking gears.
76. Build with cardboard or foam bricks.
77. Experiment with a textured sensory wall.
78. Play with a toy toolbox and plastic tools.
79. Use a toy doctor kit to give check-ups.
80. Practice putting coins into a piggy bank.
81. Play with a felt board and felt shapes.
82. Create art with sponge painting.
83. Use a toy car wash with sponges and brushes.
84. Play with a musical keyboard.
85. Try stacking and nesting cups.
86. Practice threading large wooden beads.
87. Play with a soft fabric puzzle.
88. Experiment with a light table and translucent objects.
89. Build with magnetic wooden blocks.
90. Play with a toy vacuum cleaner.
91. Use a spray bottle to water plants.
92. Practice turning knobs on a play stove.
93. Play with a shape-sorting cube.
94. Try transferring cotton balls with tongs.
95. Create art with Q-tips and paint.
96. Play with a pegboard and colorful pegs.
97. Experiment with a magnet exploration activity.
98. Use a toy sewing machine with fabric.
99. Play with a toy clock and practice telling time.
100. Practice stacking and nesting plastic cups.
101. Play with a toy mailbox and “mail” paper envelopes.
102. Experiment with a bead threading maze toy.
103. Create a collage using torn pieces of colorful tissue paper.
104. Play with a textured fabric sensory board.
105. Try transferring small objects using child-sized chopsticks.
106. Use a plastic squeeze bottle to “paint” with water on a sidewalk or driveway.
107. Play with a soft, plush bowling set.
108. Practice buttoning and unbuttoning fabric buttons on a cloth doll.
109. Use a toy fishing net to catch foam or plastic sea creatures in the bathtub.
110. Play with a toy car ramp and send cars down it.
111. Explore a textured play mat with different tactile surfaces.
112. Try threading large buttons onto shoelaces.
113. Play with a mini trampoline to work on balance and coordination.
114. Practice zipping and unzipping a fabric pouch.
115. Use a toy syringe to “feed” water to a toy baby doll.
116. Play with a set of soft, stackable plush blocks.
117. Experiment with a magnet wand and magnetic objects.
118. Create art with a stamping activity using foam shapes and paint.
119. Play with a soft, squeezable stress ball.
120. Practice turning knobs on a toy oven.
121. Use a toy grooming kit to brush a plush pet.
122. Play with a peg and hammer pounding toy.
123. Try threading large plastic nuts onto bolts.
124. Explore a textured sensory bag filled with hair conditioner and small toys.
125. Use a child-safe, handheld mirror for self-exploration.
126. Play with a toy construction crane and move objects with the hook.

What About Gross Motor Skills

Gross motor skills are the abilities to control the major muscles in our body that will be utilised for walking, running, leaping, and other activities in the future. Building these muscles is vital for obvious reasons, but as a former early childhood teacher, I’ve discovered that kids learn and retain things better when they’re up and moving, so include gross motor skills in an activity is always a plus.

Fine Motor Skills Checklist for Toddlers

Growing Hand On Kids has a great checklist for fine motor skills.

By 18 months old these are the developmental milestones your toddler should have:

• Can put rings on pegs.
• Begins to hold a crayon with finger tips and thumb.
• Removes pegs from a pegboard.
• Marks or scribbles with a crayon or pencil.
• Can build a tower 3-4 blocks high.
• Can open loosely wrapped packages or containers.
• Begins to make snips on paper with scissors (closer to 24 months old).
• Can turn pages in a book one page at a time.

Simple Fine Motor Activities for 18 Month Old Bottom Line

Many occupational therapists rave about fine motor skills and how it’s so important for baby’s to work on their palmer grasp and pincher grasp as well as their visual motor skills. Working on these fine motor skills through sensory activities is a great and easy way for young children to work on their muscle strength and help in other areas of development.

FAQ

What fine motor skills should a 18 month old have?

At 18 months old, a toddler’s fine motor skills are still developing. They should typically be able to:

1. Hold and grasp objects with a full hand grip.
2. Use a pincer grasp (using thumb and index finger) to pick up small items.
3. Scribble or make random marks with crayons or markers.
4. Turn pages of a board book, though not always one at a time.
5. Stack a few large blocks.
6. Feed themselves with their fingers or attempt to use a spoon.

Remember that children develop at their own pace, so some 18-month-olds may exhibit more advanced skills while others may be progressing gradually. Encouraging play and activities that promote fine motor development can aid their growth in this area.

What fine motor development is 24 months?

By 24 months, toddlers’ fine motor skills have typically progressed, and they can:

1. Use a pincer grasp more effectively to pick up small objects.
2. Scribble with crayons or markers in a more controlled manner.
3. Stack several small blocks into a tower.
4. Turn pages of a book more skillfully, one at a time.
5. Feed themselves with a spoon, although some mess is still common.
6. Participate in simple activities like threading large beads or putting puzzles together with assistance.

As with any developmental milestone, individual children may exhibit slightly different levels of fine motor ability at this age. Encouraging and providing opportunities for fine motor play can further enhance their skills.

What are fine motor skills milestones for 12 to 18 months?

Between 12 to 18 months, toddlers typically achieve the following fine motor skills milestones:

1. Grasping objects with a full hand grip.
2. Using a pincer grasp (thumb and index finger) to pick up small items.
3. Banging objects together or placing them into containers.
4. Scribbling or making random marks with crayons or markers.
5. Turning pages of a board book, though not always one at a time.
6. Feeding themselves with their fingers or attempting to use a spoon.
7. Beginning to stack a few large blocks.

Remember that each child develops at their own pace, so there can be variations in achieving these milestones.

How can I improve my 18 month old fine motor skills?

To improve your 18-month-old’s fine motor skills, engage them in various activities that promote hand-eye coordination and finger dexterity.

Offer safe and age-appropriate toys such as stacking blocks, shape sorters, and large puzzle pieces to encourage grasping and manipulating objects.

Provide opportunities for scribbling with crayons or markers on large paper or coloring books, fostering their creativity and hand control.

Let them explore finger painting with non-toxic, washable paint to strengthen their hand muscles and express themselves artistically.

Introduce activities like putting objects in containers or threading large beads to further develop their fine motor abilities.

Encourage self-feeding with finger foods or a spoon to refine their feeding skills.

Supervise these activities to ensure safety and provide encouragement and praise for their efforts, as playtime and exploration are essential for their developmental growth.