Age-Appropriate Fine Motor Activities for Preschoolers (4–6 Years)

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Today, we’re taking a closer look at typical fine motor skills for preschoolers ages 4–6. This is such a fun stage of development! Kids are gaining independence, refining hand strength, and starting to use their fine motor skills in more purposeful, everyday ways.

When I worked in the school system as an Occupational Therapy Assistant, this was one of my favorite age groups to support. Preschoolers are eager to try new things and ready for hands-on activities that build the skills they need for writing, self-care, and classroom success.

Preschool years are a big time for fine motor growth. Children are strengthening the small muscles of the hands, learning how to use both hands together, and building the coordination they need for dressing, eating, writing, and school tasks.

Below is a breakdown of age-appropriate fine motor skills for ages 4–6, along with simple, hands-on activity ideas you can use at home, in the classroom, or in therapy sessions.

Remember: these skills continue to develop over time. Every child develops at their own pace, so use this as a general guide, not a checklist to rush through.

Fine motor development is a process, not a race. Many of these skills continue developing through age 4 and should be mostly mastered by age 5, but every child is different.

If you have concerns about your child’s fine motor development, please talk with your pediatrician or a licensed occupational therapist for individualized guidance.

Fine Motor Skills for Preschoolers: Age 4

By age 4, children are becoming more independent with daily tasks and more controlled with hand movements.

Puts a key in a lock and opens it

Try this:

• Old keys with a practice lock or door knob
• Busy boards with locks and latches
• Playhouse doors or mailbox toys
• Turning keys in play safes or piggy banks

Uses scissors to cut straight and curved lines

Try this:

• Cut strips of paper with straight lines drawn on them
• Curved roads or rainbow lines to follow
• Cutting play dough or straws
• Simple collage projects using cut shapes

Helpful tip:
Encourage a thumbs-up scissor position and have the “helper hand” hold the paper with the thumb facing up.

Manages buttons, zippers, and snaps

Try this:

• Dressing dolls or stuffed animals
• Homemade button strips using felt or fabric scraps
• Button practice at a table (start large → medium → small)
• Zipper boards, vests, or old jackets

Once these are mastered on toys, move skills to real clothing.

Draws and copies a cross (vertical + horizontal lines)

Try this:

• Drawing crosses with crayons or markers
• Tracing crosses in sand, shaving cream, or salt trays
• Building crosses with craft sticks
• Drawing roads that cross each other

You can read more about the Basics of Pre-Writing Lines & Shapes here.

Holds a fork using fingers

Try this:

• Fork games with play dough
• Picking up food pieces like pasta or fruit
• Pretend play meals
• Spearing soft foods during snack time

Feeds self soup with little spilling

Try this:

• Scooping water, rice, or dry beans
• Thick foods like yogurt or pudding first
• Ladle play in sensory bins
• Pouring and scooping games at the sink

Folds paper in half with edges meeting

Try this:

• Folding paper to make cards
• Simple paper airplanes
• Folding napkins or towels
• Matching stickers after folding paper

Grasp development reminder

At age 4, children are still developing a consistent grasp pattern and hand dominance (right or left).

Avoid jumbo crayons. Use regular crayons or broken crayons to encourage a proper tripod grasp. Encourage your child to stick with their preferred hand during activities, even when it gets tired. This is how strength builds.

Fine Motor Skills for Preschoolers: Age 5

By age 5, fine motor skills become more refined and coordinated.

Gets dressed independently (often ties shoes)

Try this:

• Shoe-tying boards or old shoes
• Lacing cards
• Practice during daily routines
• Button and zipper races (timed but fun!)

Cuts shapes and simple pictures

Try this:

• Cutting squares, triangles, and circles
• Cutting along thicker outlines
• Simple craft kits
• Cutting magazine pictures

Uses a knife to spread and cut soft foods

Try this:

• Spreading peanut butter or cream cheese
• Cutting bananas or soft sandwiches
• Play dough cutting with dull knives
• Cooking helper activities

Copies diagonal lines

Try this:

• Drawing Xs and stars
• Tracing diagonal paths
• Building diagonals with sticks or blocks
• Drawing ramps or slides

Uses a tripod grasp

Try this:

• Coloring with short crayons or pencils
• Writing on vertical surfaces (easel or wall paper)
• Tweezer and tong games
• Fine motor crafts with small pieces

You can read more about the tripod grasp here.

Builds a five-block “bridge”

Try this:

• Block bridge challenges
• Copying block designs from pictures
• STEM building activities
• Balancing one block across two others

Uses both hands together for complex cutting

Try this:

• Cutting out animals or shapes
• Following detailed outlines
• Craft projects with multiple steps
• Paper snowflakes or chains

Copies sequences of letters or numbers

Try this:

• Copying short words
• Writing their name from a model
• Pattern copying with letters or numbers
• Tracing and copying worksheets

Fine Motor Activities for Preschoolers: Age 6

I include age 6 because there’s one major fine motor area that really takes off:

Completes complex puzzles

Try this:

• 24–100-piece puzzles
• Floor puzzles
• Matching puzzles with smaller pieces
• Timed puzzle challenges for fun

Block designs and visual-motor skills

Block designs continue to be an excellent fine motor and visual-motor activity.

Try this:

• Building bridges and towers
• Copying block designs from cards
• Balancing blocks without collapsing
• Creating patterns with blocks

A 5-block bridge typically includes three blocks on the bottom and two balanced on top, which is harder than it looks and great for coordination.

I have many more activity ideas and strategies in my book Basics of Fine Motor Skills – Developmental Activities for Kids.

You May Also Like:

• Typical Fine Motor Developmental Milestones for Ages 0-6 (FREE Printable included!)
• Fine Motor Activity Ideas for Ages 0-2
• Fine Motor Activity Ideas for Ages 2-4
• 25 Fine Motor Activity Ideas for Older Kids (Ages 6+).