Motor skills are those that require movement of the muscles. Fine motor refers to the use of the small muscles of the hands. Motor development occurs in a predictable manner. For an infant, this means that he will learn to grasp a rattle first and then will acquire the skills to pick up increasingly smaller objects. He/she will learn to transfer objects from hand to hand, to release objects voluntarily, and to point at objects of interest with the first finger. As the baby gets older, he will be able to pick up very small objects like Cheerios. This will first occur in an unrefined manner with a raking type motion of the fingers. As the fine motor skills become more refined, the baby will trap the cheerio between the thumb and the side of his index finger. As his dexterity continues to improve, a refined pinch between the tips of the thumb and the index finger will emerge. Picking up small objects for accurate placement of the objects, like using blocks to build towers, will now become a skill the child will enjoy practicing for mastery.

For more in-depth information regarding fine motor skills and the young child

Fine motor skills with regards to an older child refers to how well the child uses his hands to accomplish age appropriate tasks like drawing, dressing, writing and using scissors. An older child should use a mature grasp on the pencil. He should have a refined pinch within functional tasks like stringing beads or buttoning buttons. He should be able to complete functional fine motor tasks quickly and efficiently. The child should have a clear preference for his right or left hand.

For more in-depth information regarding fine motor skills and the older child

For an older child where choking is not a concern, fine motor skills can be enhanced through play with toys that have small pieces. This will require the use of a pinch to pick up and play with the pieces. Any toy that has some resistance when putting together or pulling apart the pieces will have an added benefit of possibly improving hand strength. As you progress through this website you will find many fun games and toys that could improve fine motor skills.