Sticky Stick Pull
- Play time:
- 5 to 10 minutes
- Setup:
- 5 minutes
- Where:
- Table
Why it helps
This simple activity is fantastic for developing the small muscles in your toddler's hands. When they pull the sticks free from the resistant tape, they get great proprioceptive feedback. This "heavy work" feeling strengthens the fingers and prepares them for skills like holding a crayon or managing buttons and zippers. Stabilizing the cardboard with one hand while the other hand works is also excellent practice for bilateral coordination.
Steps
- Adult Prep: Secure a piece of construction paper onto a stable piece of cardboard using masking tape. This is your sticky work surface.
- Place 6 to 8 craft sticks flat across the paper. Secure both ends of each stick firmly with a small, tight strip of masking tape. Press the tape down hard to increase resistance.
- Encourage your toddler to use their helper hand to hold the cardboard steady on the table, preventing it from slipping while they work.
- Challenge them to use their dominant hand to find the edge of the tape strip. Use their thumb and pointer finger (pincer grasp) to pinch and pull the tape and the stick off the board in one strong, controlled motion.
- Gather all the freed sticks and repeat the entire process! Try using strips of tape that are longer or shorter to change the difficulty.
Safety tip: Constant and direct adult supervision is required. Small pieces of torn tape and the craft sticks pose a potential choking hazard for toddlers who still place objects in their mouths. Discard all materials immediately after use.
Make it easier
- Fold over the end of each tape strip to make a tab that is easy to find and pinch.
- Press the tape on lightly so it peels off with a gentle pull.
- Use painter's tape, which is less sticky and peels off more easily than masking tape.
Make it harder
- Press the tape down hard and add a second strip over each stick.
- Tape the sticks in a color pattern, then pull them off in the order you name.
- Press the tape ends flat so your child has to find and lift each edge.
What to watch for
- Notice whether your child pinches the tape with the fingertips or grabs it with the whole hand.
- Watch the helper hand. Pressing the board flat while the other hand pulls is two-handed teamwork.
- If sticky fingers bother your child, keep a damp cloth nearby, or let them pull with a clothespin pinched onto the tab.
Where this helps in daily life
Finding an edge and peeling it back is the same pinch and pull kids use to peel a sticker, open a yogurt lid, and unfasten a hook-and-loop shoe strap.
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.
