An intricate balance  of fine and gross motor skills enables all of us – adults, children and babies – to be physically active andcontrol our bodies. Fine motor skills are the result of developed small muscles: hand,  palm and finger muscles as well as the muscles surrounding the mouths and eyes. Our fine motor skills determine how we carry out specific, controlled movements: writing, using a key to open a door, making a cup of tea and speaking are all actions we're able to perform because we have some fine motor skills  . While we often take these mundane tasks for granted, the development of the skills these actions are dependent on is crucial for your baby’s development. An environment conducive to practice and repetitive exercise helps balance  your baby’s maturing nervous system and the muscles to ensure that fine motor skills develop in sync with emotional and physical maturity. Natural motivation and curiosity along with appropriate play and exercise e nhance this process.  

An environment conducive to practice and repetitive exercise helps ensure that fine motor skills develop in sync with emotional and physical maturity  

From a Clenched Fist to a Fine Handwriting Expert  

Your baby's fine motor skills develop gradually. During the first three months, the grasp reflex is dominant: at this stage babies curl their fingers and clench any object that is placed in their hand. By the end of the second year, in contrast, toddlers can feed themselves, and may even be able to draw a circle. Newborns and tiny babies moves their arms together with their hands, as if they are one. Over time, they gain control over their hands and arms, moving them separately, in fine, controlled motions. Finally, coordination brings all aspects of fine motor skills together, so that babies can reach out and fetch a specific object with purpose and intention. Think about it: the seemingly meaningless ability to bang two blocks together is in fact a precursor to much more complex actions  –  washing the dishes or playing the piano – activities that require each hand to perform different tasks simultaneously.