Hanger Puppet Parade
- Play time:
- 20 to 30 minutes
- Setup:
- 2 minutes
- Where:
- Table
Why it helps
This activity helps your child learn to use both hands together. By clipping puppets to a hanger, they practice the pinch needed for writing. Moving the hanger across their body helps the brain coordinate its two sides. It builds the focus needed for tasks like dressing or drawing.
Steps
- Ask your child to draw three characters on construction paper with markers, each about the size of a hand.
- Ask your child to cut out each character with scissors. Help with any tight corners.
- Cut three pieces of yarn, each about as long as your forearm.
- Hang the hanger on a doorknob or a chair back. Drape one piece of yarn over the bottom bar so both ends hang down.
- Ask your child to pinch both yarn ends against the top of a character, then squeeze a clothespin open and clip all three together.
- Repeat with the other two characters, spacing them out along the bar.
- Ask your child to lift the hanger off by its hook and move it slowly from left to right so the puppets parade through the air.
Safety tip: Stay close while your child uses scissors. Move the hanger slowly, and keep its hook away from faces.
Make it easier
- Draw simple, round characters with no skinny parts so they are easier to cut out.
- Skip the yarn and clip the clothespins straight onto the tops of the paper characters.
- Take turns, with your child holding the yarn and character while you clip, then switch jobs.
Make it harder
- Cut out characters with more detail, like arms, ears, or a tail.
- Clip the puppets in a set order, like smallest to biggest, from left to right.
- Parade the puppets slowly from far left to far right without letting them bump into each other.
What to watch for
- Notice whether your child pinches the clothespin with the thumb and fingertips or squeezes it in the whole fist.
- Watch whether your child's arm moves all the way across the body during the parade, or whether they switch hands at the middle.
- If cutting out three characters feels long, let your child draw while you cut, then swap jobs for the next one.
Where this helps in daily life
Pinching a clothespin open and reaching across the body are the same moves kids use to hang art on a line, close a chip clip on a snack bag, and reach across to buckle a seatbelt.
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 Crossing Midline, 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.
