From dough to data: Cooking as an authentic context for developing fine motor skills within physical literacy

Introduction: Declines in children’s fine motor skills (FMS) are increasingly reported across UK primary education, raising concerns for school readiness, independence, and long-term health. This study examined whether structured classroom-based cooking activities could enhance FMS in children aged 7–8 years.

Methodology: Informed by physical literacy and experiential learning, a six-week intervention (n = 30) used progressive pizza-making sessions to target effective pincer grip, consistent hand-eye coordination, and control over hand and wrist motions, a mixed-methods design that combined curriculum-aligned observational assessments with qualitative field notes.

Results: Statistically significant progressive increases were observed across effective pincer grip, consistent hand-eye coordination, and hand and wrist control (χ2, p < 0.001), suggesting improvements in fine motor competence within this sample. Performance increased from 30–40% skill demonstration in session one to 70–85% by session five. Qualitative data indicated enhanced confidence, task persistence, and independence. Discussion: In this sample, authentic, goal-directed cooking tasks were associated with improvements in FMS, reinforcing links to cognitive and academic outcomes. Cooking offers a low-cost, inclusive approach that integrates movement, learning, and health priorities. Embedding structured cooking within the curriculum may provide a scalable strategy to support FMS development and health equity, establishing a strong foundation for future controlled research.