Finger isolation and Fingerprinting Drawing Fun (free printable)!

Finger isolation is the ability to use each of our fingers individually. It emerges as  skill with babies at 9 months and progresses to pointing.  It is closely related to the separation of the two sides of the hand when we focus on the use of the index finger working in isolation from the rest of the hand. The index finger (or pointer finger) is often used on it's own for pressing buttons, turning on a light switch, flushing the toilet, digging a hole in dirt for planting (and more). 

We also see the importance of finger isolation for complex activities such as touch typing or playing a musical instrument.  Each finger requires strength and stability of the joints.  

Children may have difficulty with finger isolation when we see them using their whole hands moving as one unit.  This means that even though they are pointing with their index or third finger, the movement of their arm is coming from the elbow or shoulder. They may be extending all of their fingers.  They may even be using their thumb to try to gain dexterity.  Anecdotally, we are seeing this more and more in children referred for OT with the increased use of screens (phones and tablets).

We can encourage children to move individual fingers separately, strengthen hand muscles and promote fine motor skills through playful opportunities.

• Finger rhymes and songs - Young children can practice songs such as "Where is thumbkin?", "Twinkle Twinkle little star"," Five little Ducks" and more.  Read about my favourite finger rhymes HERE with a free printable too. 
• Finger puppets - Make your own  or purchase some to use in play or songs. 
• Playdough press - Roll small balls of playdough and press them down with each isolated finger. Watch this HERE. 
• ​​Finger warm up activities - Read Heavy work for little fingers or Finger Aerobics (free printable and explanatory video).
• Finger games - Read about Finger Soccer and Finger obstacle course.  Watch another finger obstacle course made from Wikki Stix! 
• Fingerprint drawing fun- Get your new FREE PRINTABLE and start creating.  Use an inkpad or paint to create fingerprints using the picture prompts.  Add drawing embellishments and work on pre-writing, visual spatial and pencil control skills at the same time. 

I would love to see how your children use these Fingerprint Drawing pages!

Until next time,
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Cindy is a registered occupational therapist practising in Sydney, Australia.  She has two growing children who are a constant source of inspiration and learning.  Cindy loves working creatively to help children to reach their potential, finding opportunities in everyday living and making learning fun. She is also addicted to making printables (even when they take a long time to complete).  Cindy is the author of the Occupational Therapy blog Your Kids OT.  Read more articles from Your Kids OT at https://www.yourkidsot.com/blog

Cindy is a contributing author of the Functional Skills for Kids Therapy Team.  They have together published THE HANDWRITING BOOK, THE SCISSORS SKILLS BOOK and THE TOILETING BOOK.

​The information on this site is general in nature. The activities are safe for most children, however, you should consult an Occupational Therapist or health professional to address specific movement, sensory or other medical conditions. Affiliate links are used throughout this website to promote recommended products. Your Kids OT receives a small commission if any purchases are made through these links. Please see my disclosure policy for more details. ​​​
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