• Drawing activities can help children develop fine motor skills.Young child learning to write her name image by levo from Fotolia.com
  
  Fine motor skills include use of the small hand muscles, eye-hand coordination and tactile perception, all skills that enhance human movement and brain development. These skills are used in tying shoes, writing and putting small objects together. Parents and caregivers should engage children in activities that target fine motor skills to ensure these important building blocks are developed.
  
  

Drawing Activities

• Before a child can learn to write, he must practice controlling and using a writing utensil. Therefore, it is important to provide your preschooler with pencil and paper to practice tracing and drawing. Make it fun by having your child practice drawing straight lines, then more challenging lines such as curves, zigzags and diagonals. Letters are combinations of these types of lines, so it is essential to be able to draw them in order to write legibly.
  
  

Sewing Activities

• Sewing activities are aimed at children between the ages of 3 and 5. They help children learn to manipulate their hands by gaining control over objects in their hands. Sewing can be practiced using a special plastic needle. Numerous "sewing" projects exist, but the basic purpose is to practice getting a small object through another object. Children can practice by making macaroni or bead necklaces, in which they thread the macaroni or beads with string. Lacing cards are another popular sewing activity for children.
  
  

Cutting Activities

• Cutting with scissors and using the correct grip enhances hand manipulation and eye-hand coordination. Many fun, child-friendly activities require scissors. One of the most popular is making a turkey out of a handprint. This activity requires a child to be able to trace around his hand on a piece of construction paper, which utilizes fine motor skills. Once the hand is traced, the child must cut it out. This requires the child to be able to use the scissors proficiently because he must cut around the traced fingers, as well as in straight lines. Finally, the child can paint each finger a different color, an activity that also practices fine motor skills.