Balloon Barrier Stick Push
Purpose
This activity provides fantastic input for little hands. Your child will use controlled force to push a soft pom-pom through a resistant barrier. Pushing hard gives the muscles deep proprioceptive feedback. This improves their awareness of where their hands are working. The strong effort helps build intrinsic muscle strength and endurance. These muscles are essential for tasks like holding a pencil or using scissors without getting tired quickly. The small target zone also sharpens their aiming and precision (eye-hand coordination).
Activity Steps
Steps:
- Adult Prep: Cut a sturdy rectangle from the cardboard. Carefully cut one small hole (just big enough for a pom-pom) in the center.
- Adult Prep: Cut the knot end off the balloon. Stretch the remaining balloon piece tightly over the hole, creating a taut, resistant membrane. Secure the balloon edges underneath the cardboard using masking tape.
- Place the pom-poms and craft sticks in the container. Ask your child to pick up one pom-pom using a neat pincer grasp (thumb and pointer finger).
- Load the pom-pom onto the tip of the craft stick by pushing the stick gently through the center of the pom-pom.
- The child holds the cardboard base firmly steady with their helper hand. This provides stability for the working hand.
- Aim the pom-pom toward the center of the taut balloon barrier. Use a strong, controlled push to drive the stick and pom-pom through the resistant membrane.
- Repeat this push-and-poke action until all the prepared pom-poms have successfully popped through the barrier.
Safety Tip:
Constant and direct adult supervision is required. Pom-poms are small objects and pose a significant choking hazard for children who still place items in their mouths. Adults must handle the scissors for preparation.
