TP Roll Snake

Play time:
15 to 20 minutes
Setup:
5 minutes
Where:
Table
TP Roll Snake

Why it helps

This activity works on multiple skills. The child will work on motor planning through a craft activity that has multiple steps. Painting with a brush or Q-tips will help develop grasp patterns, as well as work on visual motor skills. If using a tissue paper, the child can practice cutting skills by cutting small pieces and work on finger strengthening as he/she crumbles the pieces into little balls. Choking risk: buttons and googly eyes can be a choking hazard. Stay within arm's reach, and keep them away from children who still put things in their mouths.

Find the spiral seam on the toilet paper roll and gently pull it apart along the seam so the tube unwinds into a long, curly strip. This strip is the snake’s body.

Provide the child with paint and a brush and instruct him to paint it. You can also choose markers or crayons to color the snake.

Once dry, you can have the child use Q-tips to paint the snake, or crumble little pieces of tissue paper, and/or use stickers.

Depending on the child developmental skills, either cut a snake's tongue out of red construction paper or have him cut it himself.

Finally, the child can glue the tongue and the wiggly eyes on one end of the TP roll. If you don't have wiggly eyes in hand, you can use small buttons.

These activities are for home practice and don't replace the guidance of a licensed therapist.