When a child exercises muscles in the hand, she/he is actually
forming the brain. Frank Wilson, in his book "The Hand: How It's
Use Shapes the Brain, Language, and Human Culture" traces the
pivotal place of the human hand and the amazing opposable thumb
in the evolution of the species. The density of the nerve ending
in the fingers is mind boggling. When engaged in lively hand
activities, the neural pathways of learning are laid down in the
brain that will serve the child for the rest of their life!
Until recent history, children were taught to plow, sow, weed,
cultivate, harvest, grind, bake, care for the animals and more!
These were meaningful activities that contributed to the family.
Through the training of the hand, a deeper understanding of the
world they lived in was forged. It is important in early
childhood to provide the first experiences of basic human tasks
such as wrapping, sewing, tying, knotting, decorating, painting,
picking, shaping, drawing, stirring, rolling, building,
constructing and so f