I think that sometimes parents and caregivers gloss over the fine motor skills needed to stack blocks and legos successfully---just through "play" very small children are developing hand muscles and the coordination needed to someday soon write and draw.

We, too, have found that the age range listed on the boxes are a bit skewed. My children all eagerly played with tiny toys designed for ages 5 and up---Polly Pockets, Barbie paraphernalia, Pet Shop, etc. (can you tell we have girls? ;-) )

as for other fine motor helpers, playdough, puzzles, clothespins, paper dolls, and stringing beads have always been huge hits in our house.

xoxo steph

totallytogetherjournal.com and crockpot365.blogspot.com

Besides Duplos, which every child should have, every house has everyday objects that are fun playthings and which kids like to play with (often more than they play with toys). Anything that is safe--not sharp or pointy, not small enough to choke on, not toxic--can be a toy. Plastic kitchen utensils are fabulous, as well as empty containers (give a baby a bowl and some smaller items, and she can practice what my husband calls "goesinta and comesotta"). Age-appropriate chores can develop motor skills; young children like to do what Mom and Dad do, so they can load and unload a dishwasher, wash walls, mix food, etc. And if you don't find things for them to do, they will find things to do themselves, like unlacing your shoes, writing on the walls, dropping cereal into the registers, or unscrewing the knobs from the doors.

I have to say that our 6 and 7 year olds do play with the duplo blocks, and the nice pretty princess inspired set is top on the list for the one year old to receive for Christmas.  In addition to those the kids use all kinds of things around the house to play with.  I think we have watched them use thier imaginations to show us they were ready for the next level so to speak, when it cam to developmental toys. 

http://www.thesilvas.blogspot.com/

 Megan Silva

My younger set of twins are just starting to explore and are really developing their motor skills now.  They love to experiment with objects and toys of different sizes and shapes and learn how they relate to each other.  They love putting smaller toys (like Legos!) inside a larger object, like a bowl or a box.  Shape sorters are fascinating to them right now.  I must say that we have an extensive Lego collection and all 6 of my kids (ages 7, 5, 3, 3, 1, and 1) all love to build with them!

Heather

Multiple Multiples Mama of 6

http://www.itstwinsanity.blogspot.com

They didn't have Duplo when my kids were toddlers, only Legos—which they loved. But my grandsons absolutely love the Duplo blocks. One of them likes to stack the same colors and sizes, making a tall, straight tower. The other one likes to stack them all willy-nilly and create crazy buildings. In addition to building things, we use them to learn sorting by color and size.

Other toys they really like that help with the fine motor skills are the stacking cups, the shape sorting boxes (we have several types of these), and the Poppin' Pals toy that requires them to manipulate buttons, sliders, etc. to get the animal to pop up. And then there's that ever popular, cleaning out Grandma's cabinets, where they pull out all the stuff and stack them in towers. :)

Puzzles, blocks and snap blocks like Duplo are fantastic for cooperative motor skills, too.  So if I hold one piece, and the child tries to line up their piece to mine, they are developing lots of complicated fine and gross motor skills plus hand-eye coordination.

Blocks and Duplos are also great manipulatives for hide and seek games and counting games.  Hide 3 red Duplos while the toddler watches, in the area.  Then tell her to find them.  She will use motor skills, memory, following directions, patience and cognitive processes to wait and then to retrieve them. If she forgets, giving hints builds language and social skills too. Count as she finds them, 1, 2, 3.

My daughter is a big fan of silly putty and play dough. She loves mashing and molding.

My son is Mr Lego. He will stay up long into the night building things.

I love how both of them engage their creativity and develop their fine motor skills

Weebles Wobblog ... mindful living amid chaos.
Examiner for Open Adoption.
@BestLight

I think crayons and markers are surprisingly good at developing fine motor skills.  And they can be used by everyone, as long as some of "everyone" don't feel like eating them or coloring on the walls.  http://www.swistle.blogspot.com

My kiddo is grown and gone, but before that, she was learning-disabled and struggled through a public education system where one-size-fits-all didn't. Manipulatives were the answer. When she could see it, touch it, feel it and move it around, she learned from it. We used everything from apple slices to match sticks and together we made it. She graduated from art school and works as a successful graphic designer.

Amelia Smith http://bordersmith.blogspot.com/

Any kind of toy, if you're creative, is a motor skills activity.  Turning the pages of a book (pincers, finger strength (you're raising a little typist, after all!) or tearing off squares of toilet paper (fine motor control) or creating confetti out of the unread newspapers.... anything that gets the kid's attention and puts a smile on that little face is a success in my book.

By the time they're old enough for Legos, Duplo's have done the job of teaching them to attach and detach and consider form and function as well as having given them a highly potentiated reason to learn to use those fingers constructively.

My son is 26.  I carted his legos around through 3 states and 7 moves much to the delight of my 4 and 6 year old friends in my new neighborhood.  This is a toy that never gets old!

We're big on hand-eye coordination around here...we have lots of legos and small toys, building blocks and trains, musical instruments, and more.  Every now and then we'll do literal learning activities with above-said toys, but honesty, the most learning probably gets done when they're playing independently and using their own imagination.  It amazes me what these kids will think of and come up with and create!

My two year old loves Legos of all sizes. He is fond of Duplo blocks and always has a plan in mind when he tackles the box. Pity the other preschoolers who get in the way of his plan.

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Heather Gibbs Flett
Co-founder & Editor, http://rookiemoms.com

We are big on stacking and building things here. Not only do those activities help build motor skills, but also engages their imagination... building bridges or rooms or roads... even building forts with blankets has been a great form of play where my kids learn a lot about problem solving AND.... gravity :) Elementary physics :)

I have to admit, I turn to the dollar store for supplies for these kinds of developmental activities. Grab some beans, lentils, large (too big to swallow) glass rocks and all sorts of cups, bowls, trays, spoons, ice cream scoops - the challenge of moving and pouring and picking up the different sizes and different utensils really strengthens their hands, improves hand-eye coordination, and develops concentration and focus. The great part? If any of it breaks, spills, is not a hit or is otherwise a bust, you are only out a dollar (and sometimes not even that). It is a great way to give the kids some solid developmental time without investing a lot of money.

Little toys! Blocks of all sorts. Play-dough (though my older son will NOT touch it). Crayons/coloring/drawing/learning to write letters. Almost anything. We've had some fine motor skills issues with our older son due in part to his texture issues (won't touch some things) and with some skilled play time, he's improved over the past year.

Just keep at it and make it fun!

@FireMom from Stop, Drop and Blog and The Chronicles of Munchkin Land