Occupational Therapy – Fine Motor Skill Centers

Does your classroom use fine motor centers or stations? Maybe your students move from table to table participating in different fine motor activities. Have you ever tried occupational therapy fine motor skill centers? An occupational therapy provider can lead each fine motor station guiding the activity. A recent research article took a closer look to determine if this model was helpful for preschool children.

What are Fine Motor Centers?

Fine motor centers are wonderful for early childhood classrooms. These centers give the children a place they can go and explore different manipulative materials. They also help the development of fine motor skills through play. A center where children can manipulate objects helps them develop hand-eye coordination as well as learn how to use their fingers for independent feeding and writing.

Teachers and occupational therapy providers often create different centers or stations for various fine motor skill activities to allow for ample practice time for children to develop their motor skills.

Some examples are: small blocks, stringing beads, dot markers, scissor skills, pasting, and more.

What Does the Research Say About Occupational Therapy Fine Motor Skill Centers?

Researchers wanted to determine how fine motor centers led by occupational therapists helped the fine motor skills of typically-developing preschool-aged children. The participants included 29 children from two preschool classrooms. The experimental group received occupational therapy led fine motor centers twice per week for 8 weeks. The control group continued with their regular curriculum.

To evaluate progress, the fine motor subtest of the Miller Function and Participation Scales (M-FUN) was used to collect data regarding fine motor skills pre- and post- intervention and 6 weeks post-intervention. Baseline scores of both groups were not significantly different.

Baseline scores indicated that 85.7% of participants in the experimental group had fine motor delays at pre-test and 86% of the control group participants had fine motor delays at pre-test.

Following data analysis, the results indicated:

  • the experimental group demonstrated significant differences in M-FUN scores pre- to post-test, post-test to follow-up, and pre-test to follow-up.
  • no significant difference in control group M-FUN scores pre- to post-test or post-test to follow-up.
  • a significant difference in control group scores pre-test to follow-up.
  • in the experimental group, only 7% had delays at follow-up testing.
  • in the control group, 53.3% of participants still had delays at follow-up testing.

The researchers concluded that occupational therapy fine motor skill centers in preschool classrooms may improve fine motor skills of preschool-aged students.

Resources and Suggestions for Occupational Therapy Fine Motor Skill Centers

Colored Caps – Use index cards and recycled water bottle lids to make a fine motor station.

Lacing Activities – Lace beads onto pipe cleaners.  Try lacing shoelaces on lacing cards.  These types of activities help to fine tune the intricate fine motor skills needed for handwriting.

Play Dough – Using play dough helps strengthen the muscles in the fingers, hands and shoulders which are essential for legible handwriting.

Created by an experienced school-based OT, Elizabeth Rizki Kosek, OTD, OTR/L,, this fine motor skills worksheets packet is the resource you NEED to practice DAILY fine motor, visual motor and visual perceptual skills!

Reference: Buzzell, K., Feeney, J., Gentile, L., Morris, S., Webster, S., & Herlache-Pretzer, E. (2021). Effects of occupational therapy-led fine motor centers on fine motor skills of preschool-aged children: An evidence-based program evaluation. Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early Intervention, 1-9.

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