To celebrate National Handwriting Day, our youngest learners in the Hollybank baby room have been busy building the important foundations needed for early writing.
Although handwriting may seem a long way off for our babies, the skills begin developing from a very early age through strengthening little hands and fingers and encouraging fine motor control.
Sensory Playdough Exploration
For our younger babies, we introduced and explored green playdough, adding a gentle peppermint scent for extra sensory learning. The babies were encouraged to:
- Touch and squeeze the dough
- Notice how it felt in their hands
- Smell the peppermint scent
Our older babies were supported to identify and name the smell, building their language skills alongside their sensory exploration.
We even introduced the phrase “playdough disco” — encouraging the babies to move their hands in lots of different ways! They explored:
- Pinching
- Pulling
- Rolling
- Patting
These movements are all key in strengthening the small muscles needed later for holding pencils and forming marks.
Practising Our Pincer Grip
We have also been developing our pincer grip by transporting pom poms from one container to another. This simple but effective activity supports:
- Hand–eye coordination
- Finger strength
- Control and precision
Watching the babies concentrate so carefully as they picked up and moved each pom pom was wonderful to see!
Building Strong Foundations
Activities like these may look like play (and they certainly are fun!), but they are laying the groundwork for future mark making and handwriting skills. By strengthening muscles, developing coordination, and introducing new vocabulary, we are supporting all areas of early development.
We are so proud of our babies for their curiosity, focus and enthusiasm during our National Handwriting Day activities!
