Psycho-motor skills, also known as physical and mental coordination, are crucial for preschoolers. These skills involve movements that combine both mind and body, like grasping objects or balancing. They are vital for everyday tasks, play, and learning activities.
There are two types of motor skills: fine motor skills and gross motor skills. Fine motor skills involve the coordination of small muscles, enabling precise movements like grasping objects, using utensils, or buttoning a shirt. These skills are crucial for tasks requiring dexterity and hand-eye coordination, such as drawing, writing, and tying shoelaces.
Gross motor skills, on the other hand, involve larger muscle groups and enable activities like running, jumping, and balancing. These skills are fundamental for overall body movement and coordination.
Here are five ways that you can help your child enhance their psycho-motor skills:
1. Outdoor Play
Outdoor activities offer various opportunities for psycho-motor skills development. Activities like running, cycling, playing with balls, and exploring nature refine fine and gross motor skills, enhancing coordination, balance, and muscle strength.
2. Join Classes
Enrol preschoolers in activities like swimming, martial arts, or gymnastics. Swimming enhances coordination and body awareness. Martial arts improve balance, discipline, and fine motor skills through precise movements. Gymnastics builds flexibility, strength, and spatial awareness. Of course, these aren’t the only activities you can enrol your child in. Choose activities your child is interested in!
3. Building with Blocks
Building blocks not only stimulate a child’s imagination but also improve their hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness. Encourage preschoolers to build towers, houses, or any other creations they can imagine using different types of blocks.
4. Sensory Play
Sensory activities involving sand, water, playdough, or finger painting provide tactile experiences that enhance psycho-motor skills. Feeling different textures and manipulating materials helps in refining children’s sense of touch and fine motor abilities.
5. Encourage Pretend Play
Pretend play, such as playing house, doctor, or chef, involves intricate hand movements and imaginative thinking. Engage in role-playing activities to boost both their fine and gross motor skills.
By incorporating these activities and strategies into their daily routines, you can create an environment that nurtures the psycho-motor skills of your child. As a busy working adult, you can bring them to a nearby park or playground once a week and let them run, climb, and play on the swings and slides. This is a great way to develop your child’s gross motor skills and coordination. Allocate 15 minutes each day for indoor activities such as building with blocks and sensory play.
At New Life’s three childcare centres — in Bukit Panjang, Junction 10 and Woodlands, we design activities that help your child develop and refine their psycho-motor skills. Come and see for yourselves today!