When we use our fingers and hands to manipulate small objects, this is called fine motor skills. Fine motor skills are extremely important in the school setting when working with pencils, crayons, and scissors. However, fine motor skills begin to develop long before school age. Around 3 to 4 months old, babies begin to use their hands to grasp objects and their arms to swipe. Between 9 and 12 months of age, most infants can pick up a small object between the thumb and index finger pads, which is called an inferior pincer grasp. When an infant uses the tips of the thumb and index finger to grasp a tiny object, this is called a superior pincer grasp.

At two years of age, a child should be able to color with whole arm movement while holding the crayon in a fisted position with the thumb facing upward. By age 4, most children can imitate a cross and trace a diamond and a triangle, and by age 5, they can hold a pencil with 3 fingers, which is called a tripod grasp. This is the optimal grasp to have when writing, although there are others that are acceptable. Hand dominance is typically established by this age as well.
