10 Quick Handwriting Warm-Ups
Handwriting warm ups are a great way to get your child ready for writing tasks.
These only take 2-3 minutes to complete and can assist your child with getting their hand and finger muscles ready for writing.
- Inchy worm
Whilst maintaining a tripod pencil grip, wriggle your fingers up and down the pencil shaft like a worm. Try having a race to the end of the pencil and back to the tip again.
- Spinner
With your fingers positioned in a tripod grip, spin the pencil between your fingers, pushing towards your index finger and back the other way towards your thumb.
- Windmill
Maintain a tripod grip and spin the pencil like a windmill using your thumb, pointer finger and middle finger. Start by lifting your index finger up and around the end of the pencil towards your thumb. For an extra challenge, try keeping your ring and pinky finger tucked away in your hand.
- Finger star jumps
Hold your index finger, middle finger and thumb in a tripod position without the pencil. Stretch your fingers out and bring them back to the starting position for one finger star jump.
- Paper tug of war
Hold a strip of paper in between your index finger and thumb. Find a partner to do the same on the other side and pull.
- Woodpecker
Hold the pencil with a tripod pencil grip and curl your fingers in towards your hand and extend your fingers out again. Make sure your fingers are moving and not your whole hand.
- Loom Band Push ups
Place a loom band over your index finger and thumb with the finger pads touching. Stretch in and out against the resistance of the band. For an extra challenge add more loom bands!
- Birdcages
Put your fingertips on the table, with your hands arched up. Your hands should look like birdcages. Press down onto the table with your fingers, without allowing the birdcages to collapse. Hold for 5 to 10 seconds.
- Table Soccer
Using only the fingertips of your writing hand, scrunch up strips of paper to make soccer balls. Set up some goals with glue sticks and try to score a goal by flicking your index finger against your thumb to ‘kick’ the soccer ball.
- Shake it out!
Give your hands and fingers a big shake before you start writing.
Now your fingers should be ready to write!
These exercises can also be great for a break to help with reducing pain or fatigue during long writing tasks.