The Sticky Tab Treasure Hunt
- Play time:
- 5 to 10 minutes
- Setup:
- 10 minutes
- Where:
- Table
Why it helps
This activity is a wonderful way to help your child develop their fine motor skills. By pulling on the small tape tabs, they strengthen the muscles in their fingers and hands. This specific pinching motion is a key step toward holding a pencil and managing clothes. The game encourages them to use their eyes and hands together to find hidden treasures. It also teaches them how to stabilize a project with one hand while the other works. This is a great skill for future school tasks.
Steps
- Tape the sturdy cardboard piece flat onto the table.
- Use the markers to draw fun circles on the cardboard.
- Place one colorful sticker inside each of the drawn circles.
- Cut your index cards into smaller squares to cover the stickers.
- Tape the top edge of each square to the board to make a door.
- Fold a small piece of tape over the bottom edge of the card.
- Make sure a little bit of the tape sticks out like a handle.
- Ask your child to use their pinching fingers to pull the tab.
- They will find a hidden sticker surprise under each door!
- Encourage your child to use their other hand to hold the board.
Safety tip: Always supervise your child during play. Small stickers and tape pieces can be a choking hazard. Keep all materials away from the mouth.
Make it easier
- Make the tape tabs longer and fold them over twice so they are thick and easy to pinch.
- Tape the doors on loosely so they open with a light pull.
- Start with three doors instead of a whole board.
Make it harder
- Use pairs of matching stickers and play a memory game, opening two doors at a time.
- Make the tabs small, about the size of a fingernail.
- Ask your child to find a named sticker, like the star, in as few door openings as they can.
What to watch for
- Notice whether your child pinches the tab with the tips of the thumb and pointer finger or grabs the whole door.
- Watch how much force your child uses. A gentle pull opens the door, and a hard yank may rip it off.
- If waiting for a surprise feels hard, let your child see all the stickers first, then close the doors and find them again.
Where this helps in daily life
Pinching a small tab and pulling it is the same move kids use to pull a zipper tab, peel the lid off a yogurt cup, and open a bandage wrapper.
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 Finger Strength, 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.
