Foam Fortress Cut
Purpose
This activity is fantastic for developing strong hand muscles needed for future writing tasks. Cutting thick foam requires strong effort, providing excellent proprioceptive input to the hands. This heavy work helps build stability and endurance. Holding the foam steady with one hand while cutting with the other strengthens bilateral hand coordination. Finally, connecting the resulting pieces practices fine motor control and motor planning as your child figures out how to build a stable, three-dimensional structure.
Activity Steps
Steps:
- Draw several thick, straight lines or simple shapes (like squares and rectangles) onto the foam sheets using markers.
- Help your child position the foam on a stable table. Encourage them to hold the foam firmly with their non-dominant hand to keep it from slipping.
- Challenge the child to cut along the drawn lines using child-safe scissors. Cutting through the thick foam requires a strong, sustained squeeze.
- Once all the foam pieces are cut, choose two pieces and align their edges. Push them firmly together to connect them and create a small structure.
- Continue connecting the foam pieces by pushing their edges together until the entire ‘fortress’ or structure is complete. Try to make it as tall as possible.
Safety Tip:
Constant and direct adult supervision is required. Ensure the child uses age-appropriate scissors safely and monitors the position of their helper hand, keeping fingers away from the cutting path.
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