Stick Weave Loom
- Play time:
- 15 to 20 minutes
- Setup:
- 10 minutes
- Where:
- Table
Why it helps
This activity strengthens the small muscles in the hand and improves two-handed coordination (bilateral use). The precise weaving movements help prepare little hands for intricate tasks like buttoning and writing.
Steps
- Roll the playdough into a long, thick snake and press it into a circle on the paper plate.
- Help your child push craft sticks straight down into the playdough ring, spaced evenly, so they stand up like fence posts. Use an odd number, like nine or eleven, so the pattern switches each time around.
- Curl the end of a pipe cleaner into a small loop so there is no sharp tip.
- Show your child how to weave the pipe cleaner around the fence, in front of one stick and behind the next.
- When a pipe cleaner runs out, twist a new one onto the end and keep going. Push each round down gently toward the playdough.
- Keep weaving until the pipe cleaners connect the whole fence.
Safety tip: Curl the cut ends of the pipe cleaners so the wire does not scratch, and keep playdough out of mouths. Check the craft sticks for splinters.
Make it easier
- Use fewer sticks, spaced wide apart, so there is more room to weave.
- Weave one pipe cleaner across just part of the fence, like a short gate, before going all the way around.
- Weave the first few sticks together, then hand over the pipe cleaner once the pattern is started.
Make it harder
- Weave with yarn or ribbon instead of pipe cleaners, since soft material takes more control.
- Weave in color stripes, like two red rows and then one blue row.
- Weave around the circle several times to build up a basket wall.
What to watch for
- Notice where in the circle the over and under pattern gets tricky, and whether your child says it out loud to keep track.
- Watch whether the helper hand turns the plate as the weaving goes around, or whether your child reaches around to the far side.
- Notice how your child reacts to a skipped stick. Backing up a step to redo it is part of learning to weave.
Where this helps in daily life
Weaving around a circle builds the two-handed control kids use to wrap a jump rope neatly, tie a ribbon around a gift box, and wind yarn into a ball.
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.
