Ripped Line Art
Purpose
This activity works on two important skill areas. First, tearing thick construction paper provides proprioceptive feedback. This is sometimes called 'heavy work' for the small muscles in the hands. This input helps improve hand and finger strength. Second, working on a vertical surface is great for posture. It encourages wrist extension. This is the wrist position needed for drawing and writing. Finally, children use precise pincer control to place the small pieces along the glue line. This promotes fine motor accuracy.
Activity Steps
Steps:
- Secure the cardboard vertically to a wall or door at your child’s chest height.
- Use a marker to draw several long, curvy, or zigzag lines onto the cardboard surface.
- Give your child a piece of construction paper. Encourage them to use both hands to tear the paper into small, jagged pieces. This takes strong finger effort!
- Drop the torn pieces into the plastic container nearby.
- Now, use the glue bottle to draw a thick, wavy line of glue directly next to one of the marker lines.
- Challenge your child to pick up the torn paper pieces using a neat pincer grasp. Press each piece firmly onto the wet glue line, filling the entire path.
- Repeat this process, covering all the drawn lines with colorful ripped paper pieces.
Safety Tip:
Constant adult supervision is required. Ensure that small pieces of torn paper are not put into the mouth, nose, or ears, as they pose a choking hazard for children under five. Ensure the vertical board is stable and secured well.
