Container - OTPlan

Crumpled Leaf Twig Tree

Steps:

Stand your branch inside the container using a large lump of playdough.
Encourage your child to tear strips of tissue paper with both hands.
Ask them to crumple the paper into small balls using only their fingertips.
Have your child pick up a clothespin and squeeze it open.
They must trap a tissue paper leaf inside the clothespin.
Challenge them to clip the leaf onto a twig on the branch.
Continue until the branch is full of colorful tissue paper leaves!

Safety Tip:
Adult supervision is required. Small pieces of tissue paper and playdough can be a choking hazard. Watch for sharp twigs on the branches.

Heavy Paper Link Builders

Steps:

Tear the index cards into strips (about 1 inch wide). Encourage strong, controlled pulls for heavy work input.
Take one paper strip. Roll it tightly around a marker or a pencil, creating a dense cylinder. Slide the marker out.
Secure the dense paper cylinder tightly by wrapping masking tape completely around it. Press hard to create a firm ‘building block.’
Use markers to draw small connection dots onto the center of each paper block. Aim for four dots per block.
Pick up one pipe cleaner. Hold the first paper block steady with your helper hand.
Push the stiff pipe cleaner straight through one of the marked dots. Aim the pipe cleaner and thread it through a second block to link them. Twist the ends to secure the connection.

Safety Tip:
Constant and direct adult supervision is required. Small pieces of paper, masking tape, and cut pipe cleaners pose a significant choking hazard for children who still place objects in their mouths. Ensure materials are used only as intended.

Wet Paper Squeeze Mail

Steps:

Tear the index cards into small, postage stamp-sized pieces. Encourage tearing with both hands for strong bilateral input.
Place all the torn pieces into the bowl. Cover the paper completely with water and let it soak for five minutes to create resistant pulp.
Adult Step: Cut a tight, narrow slot (about 1.5 inches long) into the container lid. Secure the lid shut completely with masking tape.
Reach into the bowl and gather a handful of wet paper pulp. Squeeze the pulp as hard as you can over the bowl to remove the water.
Hold the container firmly steady with your helper hand. Use your dominant hand to push the dense, wet pulp straight through the narrow slot. Repeat until the container is full!

Safety Tip:
Constant and direct adult supervision is required. Torn paper pieces and small wet pulp balls pose a significant choking hazard for children who still place items in their mouths. Ensure materials are used only as intended.

Felt Piercing Garden Push

Steps:

Use markers to draw 5 to 7 small target dots randomly across the center of the felt piece.
Cut the felt into a square shape. Use masking tape to secure the felt tightly over the container opening, making sure the fabric is taut and resistant.
Ask your child to hold the container firmly steady with their helper hand on the table to prevent tipping.
Pick up one craft stick. Grip it with a strong pincer grasp (thumb and pointer finger).
Aim the stick at a marked target dot. Use a strong, controlled push to pierce the stick straight through the resistant felt.
Repeat this powerful pushing action until all the marked dots are filled with sticks, completing your ‘felt garden’.

Safety Tip:
Constant adult supervision is required. Ensure the child pushes the craft sticks into the container and away from their face and body. The stabilizing hand should always be placed on the container base.

Tacky Track Bead Push

Steps:

First, draw a winding path or a thick circle onto the cardboard using a marker.
Use the glue bottle to carefully trace a thick, continuous line of liquid glue over the marked path. Controlled squeezing is key!
Immediately sprinkle a thick layer of dry beans onto the wet glue line. Press the beans down firmly and let the glue set for 5-10 minutes until it is very tacky, but not completely dry.
Place the cardboard on a table. Hold the cardboard firmly steady with your helper hand.
Pick up one small bead using a precise pincer grasp. Place the bead near the start of the tacky bean path.
Use the tip of a craft stick to push the bead along the resistant, sticky track. Use strong, sustained force to move the bead without lifting it.
Continue pushing the bead to the end of the path. Repeat the challenge by pushing more beads along the sticky line.

Safety Tip:
Constant and direct adult supervision is required. Small beads and dry beans pose a significant choking hazard for children who still place objects in their mouths. Ensure materials are used only as intended and collected immediately after play.