Tacky Tape Puzzle Pull-Off
Purpose
This activity strengthens the small muscles in the hand needed for holding crayons and scissors, while also improving shoulder stability and eye-hand coordination as your child works against gravity on a vertical surface.
Activity Steps
Steps:
- Tape a piece of construction paper vertically to a door or wall using masking tape. This is your ‘puzzle board.’
- Use small loops of masking tape to stick several pom-poms and stickers onto the construction paper. Make sure they are secure enough to stay put but loose enough to be pulled off with some effort.
- Challenge your preschooler to ‘rescue’ the materials from the tacky tape! Encourage them to stand and use both hands—one hand to stabilize the paper and the other hand to pull the items off using a pincer grasp.
- For an added challenge, hide small plastic animals or lightweight blocks under larger pieces of tape, requiring more effort and bilateral hand use to tear the tape away.
Safety Tip:
Always supervise vertical activities to ensure the child does not climb or lean heavily on the surface. Check that the masking tape used does not damage the wall or door finish upon removal.
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