Buggy Rope Slide
- Play time:
- 10 to 15 minutes
- Setup:
- 10 minutes
- Where:
- Anywhere
Why it helps
This fun game helps your little one build strong arms and shoulders by reaching up high. It also teaches their hands to work together as a team. Reaching up high while standing is a great way to improve balance and focus too. Choking risk: paper clips can be a choking hazard. Stay within arm's reach, and keep them away from children who still put things in their mouths.
Steps
- Before play, tie one end of a thin rope, such as a clothesline, to a sturdy spot a little higher than your child can reach, like a stair railing or bunk bed post.
- Pull the rope out at a slant and tie the other end low to a heavy chair leg so the rope is snug.
- Ask your child to reach up the rope as high as they can. Wrap a piece of masking tape around the rope at that spot as the finish line.
- Draw small bugs on index cards with your child. Bend each paper clip open into an S-shaped hook that hangs loosely on the rope, and slide the other end onto the top edge of a card.
- Put the bug cards in a basket near the low end of the rope.
- Ask your child to hang a bug on the rope by its hook, then push it up the rope to the finish line.
- Show your child how to hold the rope still with one hand while the other hand pushes the bug. Unhook each bug at the top and start the next one.
- Untie the rope and put it away as soon as play is over.
Safety tip: Stay close while the rope is up, keep it away from necks, and take it down right after play. Paper clip hooks are small and pointy, so keep them away from younger siblings.
Make it easier
- Tie the top end a little lower so the rope makes a gentle slope that takes less reaching.
- Draw big, simple bugs and let your child color them while you attach the clips.
- Mark a finish line on the rope at your child's shoulder height.
Make it harder
- Move the finish line a little higher so your child stretches up on tiptoes to reach it.
- Line up the bugs on the rope in color order from bottom to top.
- Slide each bug with the non-dominant hand while the other hand holds the rope.
What to watch for
- Notice whether the holding hand keeps the rope tight while the other hand slides, or both hands grab at the bug.
- Watch how long your child's arms stay up before they need a rest, and let them shake out their arms between bugs.
- If rough rope bothers your child's hands, swap it for a smooth ribbon or yarn.
Where this helps in daily life
Reaching overhead while the hands work together is the same skill kids use to hang a coat on a hook, pull a shirt over the head, and wash their hair.
Need personalized support?
While these activities are great for home practice, nothing replaces the guidance of a licensed therapist. If you are in Irvine, CA or the Orange County area and have concerns about your child's Bilateral Hand Use, we invite you to connect with us.
Contact Tumble N' Dots Therapy →These activities are for home practice and don't replace the guidance of a licensed therapist.
