Material: Cardboard

Sticky Forest Build

Steps:

  • Help your child prepare the “tree trunk” by cutting a large rectangle of Cardboard. Poke 6-8 small holes (parent task) across the surface to create spots for branches.
  • Place the Cardboard upright on a table. Encourage your child to use one hand to stabilize the Cardboard (hold it steady!) while using the other hand to poke or thread the Pipe Cleaners through the holes to create the tree’s branches. Put the excess Pipe Cleaners in a small Container.
  • Present small, sticky Velcro dots or small cut strips of Velcro. Challenge your child to peel the Velcro and stick these ‘leaves’ or ‘fruit’ onto the Pipe Cleaners. Encourage them to use their thumb and pointer finger (Pincer Grasp) to handle the small pieces.

Safety Tip:
Always supervise the use of small materials like Pipe Cleaners and Velcro dots, ensuring they are not placed in the mouth, nose, or ears.

Foil Comet Toss

Foil Comet Toss

Steps:

  • Tear a piece of aluminum foil off the roll. Use strong, bilateral hand movements to rip the resistant foil.
  • Use both hands and fingertips to crumple the foil into the smallest, tightest ball possible. This is your heavy ‘Comet.’
  • Repeat this process until you have 5 to 6 foil comets ready in your container.
  • The adult will use masking tape to hang the cardboard target from the ceiling or a doorway. Ensure it swings freely at the child’s chest level.
  • Challenge your child to stand still. Use the non-dominant hand to gently tap the cardboard, making it swing slowly.
  • Throw the foil comets one by one at the moving target. Practice grading the force of the throw to hit the center of the swinging target.

Safety Tip:
Ensure the aluminum foil is crumpled very tightly to eliminate any sharp, exposed edges. Supervise closely during throwing to ensure the child aims away from faces or breakable objects.

Styro-Dart Challenge

School-age boy aiming a pipe cleaner dart at a Styrofoam target to practice wrist extension, shoulder strength, and ocular control in a home playroom.

Steps:

  • Help your child draw a bullseye target on the Styrofoam block using markers. Assign different point values to the rings (e.g., 50 points for the center, 10 points for the outer ring).
  • Transform the pipe cleaners into ‘darts.’ Have your child fold one end into a small, easy-to-grip loop (the handle). Tightly curl the opposite end into a sharp spiral or point that will stick into the Styrofoam.
  • Set up the target using the cardboard as a stand/easel. Have your child stand 3 to 5 feet away. Emphasize holding the dart so their wrist is slightly bent back (extended) for better control before aiming.
  • Challenge your child to toss the pipe cleaner darts at the target, trying to grade their force (proprioception) so the dart sticks in without bouncing off. Keep track of points for a fun competition!

Safety Tip:
Ensure the children stand far enough apart if multiple children are playing. Supervise to ensure the pipe cleaner ‘darts’ are only thrown at the designated Styrofoam target and not toward faces or other objects.

Fuzzy Stick Postbox

Fuzzy Stick Postbox

Steps:

  • Take a sturdy piece of cardboard (like the side of a shoe box) and, using a pencil or pen, carefully poke several holes across the surface. Make sure the holes are just wide enough for a pipe cleaner to fit through easily.
  • Present the cardboard ‘postbox’ and a pile of brightly colored pipe cleaners to your child. Encourage them to pick up a fuzzy stick with one hand and hold the cardboard steady with the other.
  • Guide your toddler to push the pipe cleaners through the holes, acting as if they are “mailing” the sticks to the other side. Encourage them to try different hole locations to increase motor planning demands.

Safety Tip:
Since this activity involves small, flexible materials, adult supervision is required at all times. Pipe cleaners can pose a choking hazard for children under 3 who may mouth objects.

Buttoning Board

Buttoning is a fun fine motor skill to work on! It is more motivating when it involves our children’s favorite characters; in this case, Noodle & Pals from Super Simple Songs on YouTube!

Here, we created peek-a-boo buttoning boards that progressed from easy to more challenging buttoning skills.

Preparation:

Step 1: Cut up a piece of cardboard of your desired size (Our cardboard is the blue & white checkered print in the photo).

Step 2: Cut felt to your desired size. Ensure there will be enough overlap between the felt pages when you close the buttoning board.

Step 3: Glue the edge of the felt to the edges of the backside of the cardboard.

Step 4: Glue/sew the buttons on one side of one of the felt pages.

Step 5: Cut out slits to match the sizes of your buttons on the other felt page.

Step 6: Optional – take a marker & outline the edges of the button openings (the slits you just cut), so it makes it easier to visually identify the location of the buttonhole opening.

Step 7: Print, cut & glue on your child’s favorite character at the top of the cardboard sheet.

Tips and Grading Options:

Warm-Ups:

  1. Insert popsicle sticks through slits on a coffee cup lid.
  2. Insert coins into piggy banks.
  3. Pick out buttons from playdough.

To make it easier:

  1. Start with fewer buttons.
  2. Create larger buttoning hole openings.
  3. Highlight the buttoning hole openings by drawing around them (such as the black markings in the photo).
  4. Use larger buttons.
  5. Demonstrate how to button & use simple language.

To make it more challenging:

  1. Increase the number of buttons.
  2. Create smaller buttoning hole openings.
  3. Use smaller buttons.
  4. Use fabric with busy patterns.
  5. Use fabric with flimsier material.

As always, ensure safety in all activities. Provide assistance and supervision as needed.

Enjoy!