Building LEGOs: A Fun Way to Develop Fine Motor Skills

Building LEGOs: A Fun Way to Develop Fine Motor Skills

My oldest son struggled with fine motor skills. He was in occupational therapy and physical therapy to help, but we quickly learned to help him develop those skills at home building Lego was the way to start. He couldn't pick up the small pieces easily and piecing them together was difficult for him, but he enjoyed doing it so he was not easily discouraged. We decided to buy a few small sets and see what he could do. He started out doing small speed car sets. He enjoyed it and quickly those little pieces were not so hard to pick up. He was building them with ease. Now he is building large sets with ease. 

We learned that beyond the fun, there is something even more valuable hidden in those colorful blocks: the development of fine motor skills. For our son engaging with LEGOs provided a hands-on, interactive way to strengthen the muscles and coordination required for daily tasks. 

Here’s what we learned working closely with our son's amazing care team over the years: 

1. Improving Hand-Eye Coordination

One of the first and most noticeable ways that building with Legos helps develop fine motor skills is by enhancing hand-eye coordination. As children pick up bricks, position them, and connect them together, they must coordinate the movement of their hands with what they see. This simultaneous interaction between visual input and physical output strengthens the neural pathways responsible for precise movements. Whether it’s aligning two bricks perfectly or placing a small piece into a specific spot, the process requires focused attention and precision. Our son has vision issues and initially had to  patch one eye to help improve his sight. So, this contributed to his poor motor function. Over time he developed stronger hand-eye coordination. 

2. Strengthening Finger and Hand Muscles

Our son had low muscle mass and was easily tired by certain repetitive movements. We had to have several interventions to increase his strength. The simple task of holding a pencil would make his hands hurt. We learned that building LEGO involves manipulating small pieces with fingers, which helps strengthen the small muscles in the hands and fingers. These fine motor muscles are critical for tasks like writing, drawing, tying shoes, and using utensils. The gripping, pinching, and pressing motions involved in snapping Lego pieces together provide resistance that enhances muscle tone. Repeated practice, even without conscious effort, builds the dexterity needed for more complex actions as children grow. With time simple tasks like writing didn't cause him extreme discomfort which led to better performance in school. 

3. Enhancing Bilateral Coordination

Something our son deals with to this day is coordinating both sides of his body. We spent time seeing all kinds of doctors to determine why when he walked he couldn't seem to coordinate both sides of his body. His gate was off and he struggled to get both sides of his body to function in tandem. It was eventually determined he had poor bilateral coordination. I remember researching what on Earth that meant!

Bilateral coordination refers to the ability to use both hands together to complete a task. Building with LEGOs is an excellent way to promote this skill, as children are often required to hold and manipulate one LEGO piece with one hand while positioning and securing another with the other hand. This type of coordination is essential in daily tasks such as brushing teeth, opening bottles, and even typing on a keyboard. Through consistent play, children naturally improve their ability to coordinate both sides of their body efficiently. 

4. Developing Spatial Awareness

Spatial Awareness was one of the skills that drove my wife insane before we knew what was going on. My wife would help him organize his room and he was always struggling trying to put things in spaces they fit.  She would ask "Does that fit there?" and he would certainly try to make it. You know those cubes you fit the circle, square, and other shapes into? He was like a kid who would get mad when the square wouldn't fit in the circle while repeatedly try to make it fit with anything that required the skill. Looking from the outside it was hard not to just take it and put it in the right space.

As children build with LEGOs, they develop a better understanding of space, shapes, and sizes. They learn how different pieces fit together, how stacking works, and how to orient bricks in various positions. This kind of spatial awareness is fundamental for tasks that require organizing, measuring, or even drawing. By understanding how objects fit together in space, children improve their ability to visualize solutions, a skill that is important in many academic and real-world contexts.

5. Boosting Problem-Solving Skills

One thing our oldest struggled significantly with was problem solving skills. He was easily discouraged and upset by small problems. We worked on learning patience and accepting that we were very unlikely to get it right on the first try every time. With time he learned fine motor development is not only about physical strength or coordination but also about thinking ahead and problem-solving. As kids figure out how to build structures, they’re often faced with challenges, such as whether a piece fits or how to make the design stable. These challenges encourage creative thinking and resilience. The process of trial and error strengthens cognitive problem-solving skills, which are closely tied to the use of fine motor abilities.

6. Promoting Independent Play and Confidence

LEGO building encourages independent play, which can improve fine motor skills in a relaxed, low-pressure environment. When children create their own designs, they begin to feel a sense of pride in their work, which fosters confidence. The satisfaction of completing a project helps them recognize their own capabilities. This positive reinforcement makes them more likely to engage in fine motor activities in the future, continuing to refine their skills.

In our home LEGO building is more that just building a LEGO set. It is about building new skills. For us building LEGOs provides an enjoyable and effective way to develop fine motor skills, from improving hand-eye coordination to strengthening muscles and enhancing problem-solving abilities.  LEGOs offer a wonderful opportunity to engage in a playful yet purposeful activity that helps fine-tune essential motor skills.