Critical Activities for Healthy Brain Development in Children

How Much Brain Space Is Needed to Move Fingers?

Spoiler: A lot more than you think... your toes are offended!

Let’s play a quick game.

Which body part do you think takes up the most real estate in your brain’s motor cortex?

• Your legs? (They get you places.)

• Your arms? (They help you wave at friends and swat flies.)

• Your butt? (It’s everywhere, after all.)

Nope. Guess again.

The answer is… your fingers.

That’s right. Those tiny wiggly digits at the ends of your hands take up way more brainpower than your thighs, your shoulders, or even your feet. Which means every time you button a shirt, tie a shoelace, or do jazz hands, your brain is working overtime.

Let’s dig into the juicy science, and why it matters way more than you think.

🧠 So… How Much Brain Space Are We Talking?

In the part of your brain responsible for movement (called the motor cortex), there’s a fascinating layout called the motor homunculus—a little "map" of your body based on how much brain space each part gets.

Spoiler: The hands and fingers dominate.

They take up as much or more space than your entire torso and legs combined.

Why? Because your fingers perform complex, precise, tiny movements that require high-level coordination and fine motor control. You might not even realize how hard your brain is working when you:

• Thread a needle

• Play an instrument

• Type a text without looking (you show-off)

• Zip a jacket

• Build a Lego castle with your eyes closed (OK, maybe not that last one… but still impressive)

🦵 But What About My Legs?

Don’t get us wrong, legs are great. They’re strong, fast, and do some impressive things (shoutout to dancers, runners, and soccer stars). But they’re big muscles doing broad movements, less brainy, more brawny.

You don’t need intricate muscle coordination to take a step. You do need it to button up a shirt without poking yourself in the eye.

📊 Fun (and Kind of Nerdy) Stats:

👉 The motor cortex devotes more space to the hands and fingers than any other body part

👉 According to neurologists, using your hands in coordinated ways, especially both hands together, lights up multiple areas of the brain: motor, sensory, visual, and memory centers

👉 Children who engage in fine motor activities like crafting, drawing, and building tend to have stronger cognitive and language development

👉 A study from the Journal of Neuroscience found that learning new hand skills increases neuroplasticity, aka your brain’s ability to grow and adapt

🛠️ Activities That Take the Most Brain Space

Here’s a list of brain-heavy hitters that demand serious hand-brain coordination:

Playing a musical instrument 🎻

• Sewing or knitting 🧵

• Drawing or painting 🎨

• Sculpting or woodworking 🪵

• Typing (especially fast!) ⌨️

• Assembling small toys or models 🧩

• Playing strategy-heavy games like chess ♟️

• Handwriting or calligraphy ✍🏾

Each of these keeps your fingers dancing and your neurons firing. Double win.

💤 Activities That Take the Least Brain Space

(Also known as "auto-pilot mode")

• Scrolling through your phone 📱

• Watching TV 🛋️

• Walking in a straight line 🚶🏾

• Sitting (definitely not a brain workout)

• Chewing gum (unless you’re trying to do long division at the same time)

• These aren’t bad—they’re just… not doing much for your brain.

  
  

👶 Why This Matters for Kids (and Adults Who Love Glue Sticks)

Because fingers are wired so deeply into our brain function, hands-on activities are essential for healthy brain development, especially for kids.

When children build, craft, sew, and paint, they’re not just being “creative”—they’re literally growing their brains.

And for adults? Using your hands in new ways is one of the best things you can do to keep your mind sharp, agile, and maybe even ward off cognitive decline (see also: crafting vs. dementia).

🎯 Final Thoughts: Big Brain Energy Lives in Small Movements

So the next time you fumble with a zipper or drop spaghetti noodles while trying to plate dinner, just remember, you’re using some of the most valuable brain real estate you’ve got.

And if you want to boost brainpower, focus, and coordination, for yourself or your kids, put the screens down and pick up some scissors, paintbrushes, or building blocks.

Because when fingers get moving, so does your mind.

Need an easy way to put those fingers to work? Check out our collection of toys. Learn More.