The preschool years see another large gain in fine motor skills and development, mostly in the realm of drawing and writing.
Here’s what fine motor skills to expect during a child’s three- and four-year-old years:
At 3 years:
Manipulates large pages, beads and puzzles with knobs or whole pieces representing objects- Pours liquids (with some spills)
- Builds simple block structures
- Draws shapes and objects in relation to each other
- Handles scissors with some success
- Dresses and Undresses with little assistance
At 4 years:
Completes puzzles with small pieces, small pegs, beads, etc.- Pours sand/liquids into small containers
- Builds complex block structures
- Draws combinations of shapes and objects that are recognizable
- Draws person with at least 4 parts
- Begins to be able to cut on a line
- Generally dresses and undresses without assistance
At 5 years:
- Does multi-piece puzzles and uses small manipulatives with ease
- Builds 3-dimensional block structures
- Draws people and geometric designs
- Begins to color within the lines
- Prints first name in recognizable letters
- Uses scissors, hammers, screwdrivers, and hole punchers without assistance
- Begins trying shoes
