The Hanger Button Rescue
- Play time:
- 5 to 10 minutes
- Setup:
- 5 minutes
- Where:
- Anywhere
Why it helps
This activity helps your child practice using their eyes and hands together. By pulling buttons off the sticky tape, they learn to control small finger movements. This is great for building hand strength used in everyday tasks like dressing!
Steps
- Take a plastic hanger and wrap several strips of masking tape around the bottom bar.
- Ensure the sticky side of the tape is facing out toward your child.
- Press ten colorful buttons onto the sticky tape at different spots.
- Have your child hold the top of the hanger with one hand to stabilize it.
- Use the other hand to carefully peel each button off the tape using a pinch.
- Have them drop each rescued button into a nearby plastic container.
Safety tip: Buttons are a significant choking hazard. Always supervise your child during play and ensure all buttons are stored safely after the activity.
Make it easier
- Use big, flat buttons and press them on lightly so they pop off with a small tug.
- Hang the hanger on a doorknob so it stays put and your child can work with one hand.
- Start with five buttons spread far apart on the tape.
Make it harder
- Press the buttons on firmly so each one takes a stronger pinch to peel off.
- Ask your child to hold three rescued buttons in one hand, then drop them in one at a time.
- Sort the buttons into containers by color or size as they come off.
What to watch for
- Notice whether your child pinches with the tips of the thumb and pointer finger or slides a fingernail under the button.
- Watch whether the helper hand holds the hanger steady or lets it swing while the other hand pulls.
- If sticky tape on the fingers bothers your child, offer child-safe tweezers to pull the buttons off instead.
Where this helps in daily life
Pinching small things while the other hand holds steady is the teamwork kids use to work buttons through buttonholes, pull the tab on a yogurt lid, and pick up dropped crayons.
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.
