Lockdowns, screen time could leave children with less motor skills, unable to hold a pencil

Young Aussie kids are losing basic skills. But experts say it’s not too late to help them get back on track.

Exclusive: There are concerns that a higher number of children starting kindy next week won’t have the fine motor skills to be able to hold a pencil.

University of South Australia released research last year that found too much screen time was causing developmental delays among preschoolers.

Educators say there has been a steady decline in children’s fine motor skills over the past decade, but they won’t know whether Covid has exacerbated the problem until children start school.

Only About Children Occupational Therapist, Anna McCauley. Picture: Supplied

Anna McCauley, an occupational therapist for Only About Children, said although there are no studies on the impact of Covid on preschoolers, the pandemic may have had a negative impact on some children’s development.

“It’s difficult to measure how lockdowns have impacted children overall as there are many factors contributing to skill development,” she said.

“The constraints of working from home with young children and pauses in usual activities like preschool, swimming lessons and play dates may mean some children have been less active and having more screen time.

Painting can help build fine motor skills ready for school.

“On the other hand, not needing to rush out the door in the morning in lockdown may mean children have had more time to practice independence skills like dressing and eating meals.”

She said being able to hold a pencil and cutting paper with scissors are important skills for preschoolers to be able to achieve before they start school.

Ms McCauley said exercises that strengthen the hands are important as is being outside and active which helps build the core, allowing children to hold themselves up, sit and work at a desk for longer.

Prudence Reid, a primary school teacher in Sydney, said some “littlies have fared a lot worse than others” during the pandemic.

“Time poor parents have sat them in front of the TV,” she said.

“It takes a lot of effort to set up play for that age.”

Drawing in the sand can help build muscle strength, experts say.

She advised parents to help their child by getting them to use crayons to colour in pictures, paint, play with plasticine, play string games like cat’s cradle and weave necklaces.

They could also take kids outside to kick a ball, use the climbing frame and draw pictures in the sand with a stick.

One Australian retailer Best & Less is giving away free colouring books in stores to help encourage creativity, imagination and fine motor skills.

Ms Reid said for those who don’t like to sit still, other hand strengthening exercises include using tweezers to move grains of rice from one bowl to another and getting children to squeeze the water out of sponges.

Originally published as Lockdowns, screen time could leave children with less motor skills, unable to hold a pencil