The Sticker Puppet Rescue
- Play time:
- 5 to 10 minutes
- Setup:
- 5 minutes
- Where:
- Anywhere
Why it helps
This fun activity helps your child build the hand strength needed for everyday tasks. By using their hands to hold and peel stickers, they practice using both sides of their body together. It is a simple way to boost focus and fine motor skills at home! It also encourages your child to use their imagination while strengthening their fingers.
Steps
- Use markers to draw a silly face on a paper bag.
- Cover the bag with colorful stickers of all sizes.
- Have your child put the bag on their helper hand.
- This hand is now the sticker puppet!
- Ask the child to use their other hand to peel the stickers.
- Tell them to move the puppet's mouth while they clean it.
- Repeat until the puppet is ready for its next show!
Safety tip: Always supervise your child while they are playing with stickers. Small stickers can be a choking hazard. Ensure the child does not put them in their mouth.
Make it easier
- Use big stickers and fold back one corner of each to make a tab that is easy to pinch.
- Keep the puppet still on the table while your child peels, and add the talking mouth later.
- Press the stickers on lightly so they lift off without tearing the bag.
Make it harder
- Ask the puppet to give up only one color or shape at a time, so your child has to find those first.
- Use small stickers with no folded corners, so your child lifts each edge with a fingertip.
- Stick each peeled sticker in a row on a sheet of paper.
What to watch for
- Notice whether the puppet hand can keep talking while the other hand peels, or whether it stops each time.
- Watch how your child starts each sticker: picking at the edge with a fingertip, using a fingernail, or rubbing at the middle.
- If wearing the bag feels odd on the hand, let your child hold the puppet by its bottom edge instead.
Where this helps in daily life
One hand holding while the other peels is how kids peel a banana, take the backing off a bandage, and pull name labels off a sheet for school folders.
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.
