Craft Sticks - OTPlan

Precision Tube Drop

Steps:

Adult Prep: Cut a 4-inch wide strip from the foam sheet. Roll the strip tightly to create a narrow, stable tube, securing the seam firmly with masking tape.
Secure the bottom of the foam tube vertically onto the construction paper using plenty of masking tape. The paper acts as a base.
Place the sticks in the container next to the base. Ask your child to sit stably and use their helper hand to hold the base firmly.
Challenge your child to pick up one craft stick using a neat pincer grasp (thumb and pointer finger).
Encourage them to aim carefully and drop the stick straight down through the narrow opening of the foam tube without touching the sides.
Repeat this precision task until all the craft sticks have been successfully dropped into the tube.

Safety Tip:
Constant and direct adult supervision is required. Craft sticks are small items and pose a potential choking hazard for children who still place objects in their mouths.

Sponge Stick Rotation

Steps:

Fill the bowl with water. Soak the sponge completely. Ask your child to wring the sponge out tightly, making it damp and dense.
Place the damp, dense sponge firmly inside the plastic container to keep it stable on the table.
Hold the container steady with your helper hand. Pick up one craft stick using a comfortable grasp with your working hand.
Aim the flat end of the stick at the sponge. Use a strong, twisting motion to screw the stick halfway into the resistant sponge.
Continue twisting all the craft sticks into the sponge until the surface looks like a prickly cushion.
Challenge your child to reverse the movement: use a strong twist and pull to remove the sticks one by one. Try switching hands for stabilization.

Safety Tip:
Constant adult supervision is required. Ensure the child remains seated while working and only uses the craft sticks for the intended twisting action.

Taut String Barrier Push

Steps:

An adult should cut a sturdy rectangle from the cardboard. Use markers to draw a simple picture on the cardboard, like a big car or boat.
Wrap several lengths of string or yarn tightly across the cardboard surface. Crisscross the strings both horizontally and vertically to create a resistant ‘gate’ barrier over the picture.
Secure the ends of the string firmly with tape on the back of the cardboard. Ensure the strings are taut and resistant.
Place the yarn gate barrier flat on a table. Ask your child to hold the cardboard firmly with their helper hand to keep it stable.
Pick up one craft stick. Challenge your child to use the stick to push and weave straight through the resistant yarn gate until the stick is completely past the barrier.
Encourage strong, controlled pushes. Repeat the process to push all the sticks through the resistant strings and fill the picture.

Safety Tip:
Constant and direct adult supervision is required. Craft sticks and small pieces of tape or string are small objects. They pose a choking hazard for children under five.

Foil Rod Roller

Steps:

Tear off a 6-inch sheet of aluminum foil. Encourage your child to use both hands to tear the resistant material.
Use both hands together to strongly crumple and squeeze the foil into a very tight, dense sphere. Focus on making it as hard as a rock!
Choose a craft stick. Decorate the stick with markers if desired. Hold the stick firmly using a comfortable grasp.
Hold the resistant foil ball steady with your helper hand. Use your dominant hand to aim and push the craft stick straight through the center of the foil sphere.
Apply strong, controlled pressure until the stick pushes all the way through to the other side of the foil ball. You have created a Foil Rod!
Repeat the process to create several Foil Rods. Challenge your child to connect them end-to-end to build a unique 3D sculpture or tower.

Safety Tip:
Constant adult supervision is required. Ensure children compress the foil tightly to avoid sharp edges. Collect all small materials immediately after play, as they pose a potential choking hazard.

Banded Post Stretch

Steps:

Adult Prep: Press a large lump of playdough firmly into the bottom of the plastic container to create a stable base.
Adult Prep: Twist several pipe cleaners tightly into small, stiff rings or loops. These are your ‘bands’ that need stretching.
Have your child insert 6 to 8 craft sticks vertically into the playdough base. Ensure they stand up straight and firmly.
Challenge your child to pick up one pipe cleaner band. They must use both hands together to pull and stretch the band open.
Hold the container steady with the non-dominant hand. Use the stretched band and aim it carefully onto the top of a standing craft stick.
Continue stretching and placing the bands until every craft stick tower is ringed. Try placing multiple bands on one stick for a stack.

Safety Tip:
Pipe cleaners are small and pose a choking hazard. Constant and direct adult supervision is required throughout this activity. Ensure the child does not place materials near their mouth.