The Sticky Plate Ball Maze
- Play time:
- 10 to 15 minutes
- Setup:
- 5 minutes
- Where:
- Table
Why it helps
This activity helps your child develop steady hands and focus. By navigating a small ball around sticky obstacles, they learn how to control their movements carefully. It is great for building the look and move skills needed for writing and drawing later on. Using a spoon adds an extra layer of challenge for their grip!
Steps
- Place your paper plate on a flat table.
- Cut three short pieces of yarn using your scissors.
- Lay the yarn across the plate to make a winding path.
- Use small pieces of masking tape to hold the yarn down.
- Place extra strips of tape across the plate with the sticky side facing up.
- Put the ping pong ball at the start of the path.
- Give your child a spoon to hold.
- Ask them to push the ball along the path without touching the sticky tape.
- Challenge them to get to the finish line!
Safety tip: Always supervise your child to ensure they do not put the ping pong ball or masking tape in their mouth.
Make it easier
- Leave out the sticky traps at first and just follow the yarn path.
- Make a wide path with gentle curves so the ball has room to move.
- Let your child push with a big serving spoon, which has more surface to steer with.
Make it harder
- Add more sticky traps close to the path so there is less room for mistakes.
- Ask your child to carry the ball inside the spoon along the path instead of pushing it.
- Hold the spoon in the non-dominant hand for a whole trip.
What to watch for
- Notice how your child holds the spoon, in a fist or with the fingers like a pencil, and whether the grip changes on tight turns.
- Watch whether the other hand holds the plate still or the plate slides around the table.
- If touching the sticky tape bothers your child, flip the strips sticky side down and call them lava lines to steer around.
Where this helps in daily life
Steering with a spoon uses the same wrist and grip control kids need to scoop yogurt, stir a bowl of batter, and guide a crayon around the lines of a coloring page.
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 Eye-Hand Coordination, 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.
