Under this new perspective, concern for the environment as a delineator factor of development in the early years of life has led some researchers to question the influence of the school environment as a space for children development,2 , 8 , 18 - 21 since the lived experiences of those years are related to the cognitive22 , 23 and motor5 , 24 development in subsequent years, many children have the day care center as their main source of stimulation and interaction. In this context, it was found that day care centers with adequate equipment, good quality in the care and teaching methodology had positive influence on children development.2 , 15 , 25 However, there are few studies assessing the school environment influence on fine motor skills of children at 2 years of age, period in which they begin to develop greater independence in daily activities and ability to use their hands functionally. Studies evaluating the fine motor performance among frequenters of Brazilian nurseries attributed the poor performance of children to the lack of quality of day care centers in Brazil.2 , 18 , 26 However, this conclusion was based on studies that evaluated only the quality of day care centers in Brazil, without relating their impact on children's performance.