Toys for
Fine & Gross Motor Development
Toys are naturally motivating for developing motor skills. Whether it's playing with building blocks to improve fine motor skills, riding a tricycle to enhance balance, or engaging in sports for coordination of the whole body, toys offer diverse opportunities for physical activity and skill refinement.
While playing with toys, children practice hand-eye coordination, grip strength, and dexterity. Toys that encourage active play, like swings or jungle gyms, stimulate gross motor skills development, such as running, jumping, and climbing. Overall, toys are not just sources of entertainment; they serve as invaluable tools for children to develop their physical abilities, laying the foundation for a healthy and active lifestyle.
There are two big categories
for motor development...
FINE MOTOR
Fine motor skills involve the precise control of small muscles, usually in the hands and fingers, and are responsible for activities such as writing, buttoning a shirt, or threading a needle. They require intricate hand-eye coordination and are essential for tasks that demand precision and dexterity.
GROSS MOTOR
Gross motor skills involve larger muscle groups. These skills emphasize overall body movement, balance, and coordination and are fundamental for activities that require strength, agility, and spatial awareness. Gross motor skills are the foundation for engaging in many sports and physical activities.
Since both types of motor skills are essential for children to learn in order to successfully navigate and become independent with daily life, promoting these skills through play-based activities is important. There are many ways you can provide opportunities for your child to practice these skills through play with toys at home.
take a look at our picks for FINE motor development...
Please note that our website participates in affiliate marketing programs, which means we may earn a commission through the links provided on our site. This, however, has no bearing on our reviews and comparisons. We keep it real!
Flower Garden
How to play: Pretend to plant and grow the most colorful flower garden with this fun set. Building activities are great for developing fine motor skills!
Skills to target:
-
Grasping
-
Hand-eye coordination
Play-doh & Kinetic Sand
How to play: You can use a variety of textured play mediums (e.g., clay, sand, or slime) to cut out shapes or hide small objects inside for your child to find.
Skills to target:
-
Grasping
-
Building hand strength
Beads
How to play: Colorful or differently shaped beads that can be threaded onto a string to make necklaces, bracelets, and shapes are great for developing fine motor skills.
Skills to target:
-
Grasping
-
Hand-eye coordination
Squigz
How to play: Squigz have unlimited possibilities with just a little creativity. Stick these little guys to windows, mirrors, or each other to create fun shapes and pictures.
Skills to target:
-
Building hand strength
-
Hand-eye coordination
Puzzles
How to play: Pick a puzzle with your child’s interests in mind. Look for age-appropriate puzzles so that they can match and complete a puzzle with a little help from you!
Skills to target:
-
Grasping
-
Hand-eye coordination
Squeeze Rockets
How to play: Create a challenge: who can send their rocket the farthest? Or, who can hit the sofa with their rocket? Children love these simple toys!
Skills to target:
-
Building hand strength
Building Blocks
How to play: Building blocks are available for almost every interest – vehicles, animals, etc. Whether your child is creating cities or zoos, connecting pieces together promotes fine motor skills.
Skills to target:
-
Grasping
-
Hand-eye coordination
Water Wow! Painting
How to play: Mess-free painting? Sign us up! These re-usable books require only water for fun. They are perfect for developing fine motor skills.
Skills to target:
-
Grasping
-
Hand-eye coordination
Pop Beads
How to play: Push and pull beads to “pop” them together to create necklaces, bracelets, and shapes.
Skills to target:
-
Building hand strength
-
Hand-eye coordination
Lite Brite
How to play: Inserting pegs into a peg board or lite brite toy can be a fun way to practice smaller hand coordination and pincer grasp.
Skills to target:
-
Building hand strength
-
Hand-eye coordination
take a look at our picks for GROSS motor development...
Balance Rocks
How to play: Space the rocks on the floor to create a mini obstacle course for your child. Support them while they practice moving from rock to rock.
Skills to target:
-
Balance
-
Coordination
Scooter Board
How to play: Kids LOVE scooter boards! These fun boards help children learn important gross motor skills while having a blast!
Skills to target:​
-
Coordination
-
Muscle strengthening
Tunnels & Tents
How to play: Whether you use a crawl through tunnel or a pop-up fort, these toys allow children to get moving while navigating the course with their whole body.
Skills to target:
-
Crawling
-
Motor planning
Balance Beam
How to play: Low-to-the-ground balance beams offer children the chance to learn about their body’s center of gravity in a safe environment!
Skills to target:
-
Balance
-
Coordination
Pancake Pile Up
How to play: Race to match the pancakes! Create obstacles for children to navigate as they cross the space to match picture cards (pancakes). This game can be adapted for a variety of skill levels.
Skills to target:
-
Balance
-
Motor planning
Yoga Dice
How to play: Roll the dice and recreate the pose! Use one dice or all six as you practice whole body movements and balance.
Skills to target:
-
Balance
-
Motor planning
Fort Building Kits
How to play: Roll the dice and recreate the pose! Use one dice or all six as you practice whole body movements and balance.
Skills to target:
-
Balance
-
Motor planning