Playdough Candle Pull
Purpose
This simple activity helps strengthen the small muscles in the hand, promoting precise pincer grip and the ability to stabilize an object with one hand while the other works (bilateral hand use).
Activity Steps
Steps:
- Help your child roll the playdough into several small balls (about golf-ball size). These will be the ‘cake’ bases.
- Encourage your child to carefully stick 5-10 craft sticks straight up into each playdough ball, like ‘candles’. This requires gentle pushing and aiming.
- Challenge your child to ‘blow out’ and remove the candles one by one. They must use one hand to firmly hold the playdough ball stable, and the other hand to use a precise pincer grasp (thumb and pointer finger) to carefully pull the craft stick straight out without wiggling or squishing the playdough base.
- If needed, start with fewer sticks or use a slightly firmer playdough recipe to increase stability.
Safety Tip:
Always supervise children during this activity to ensure they do not put materials in their mouth. Ensure the craft sticks do not have sharp edges.
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