Craft Sticks - Page 10 of 14

Band Launcher Target

Steps:

Prep the launcher by taping one end of a craft stick firmly to the edge of a flat piece of cardboard. The stick must be able to spring back up.
Place the container (the target) a short distance away from the cardboard launch pad.
Encourage your child to use a precise pincer grasp to place a pom-pom onto the free end of the craft stick.
Use one hand to stabilize the cardboard while the other hand presses down on the craft stick tip using controlled force.
Quickly release the stick to launch the pom-pom toward the target container. Count the successful hits!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise to prevent small pom-poms from being placed in the mouth. Ensure the launch area is clear before shooting to avoid hitting anyone.

Vertical Garden Push

Steps:

Set up the ‘garden’ by turning the bucket upside down on the floor or table. Take a large handful of Theraputty (or stiff playdough) and press it firmly onto the side of the bucket, making a thick, stable ‘garden bed.’
Show your child how to hold the craft stick using a three-finger grasp (or whatever grip is most comfortable). Explain that they need to ‘plant’ the sticks so they stand up tall.
Encourage your child to press the craft stick deeply into the putty with enough force to make it stick. Remind them to keep their elbow close to their side and push from the shoulder, keeping the wrist stable and slightly extended (bent backward) as they press.
Challenge them to fill the entire putty patch with as many colorful craft sticks as they can ‘plant’! To increase the challenge, use a smaller patch of putty to encourage more precision.

Safety Tip:
Always supervise children closely during fine motor activities. Ensure the bucket is stable and will not slide or tip over when the child applies pushing force. Encourage standing or kneeling rather than reaching across the body to promote better posture.

Web Lacing Rescue

Steps:

Adult Prep: Lay strips of masking tape sticky-side up across the cardboard edge, securing the ends underneath to make a sticky “loom.”
Leave about one inch of space between each sticky tape strip.
Cut a piece of yarn about 18 inches long. Tape one end of the yarn securely to the end of a craft stick to create your ‘needle.’
Hold the cardboard loom steady with your helper hand. Use your dominant hand to weave the craft stick and yarn “needle” under the first tape strip.
Next, challenge yourself to weave the yarn *over* the second tape strip, then under the third, creating a woven pattern across the sticky web.
Continue weaving across the web. When finished, carefully peel the woven yarn and tape off the cardboard to reveal your colorful woven mat!

Safety Tip:
Ensure the craft stick has no sharp edges before taping the yarn on. Closely supervise the child to ensure they do not pull the masking tape off the surface and place it in their mouth.

Rhythm Sequence Match

Steps:

Set up the game by placing the container and a piece of construction paper on a table. The container will be your drum and the paper is your “target zone.”
Roll the dice. The number rolled determines the length of the rhythm sequence you must create (e.g., 4 means 4 total taps).
The adult claps or uses a craft stick to tap a rhythm on the container. Use varying forces, such as loud, soft, soft, then loud.
The child must carefully listen and then replicate the exact sequence of taps (both the timing and the force) using their own craft sticks on the paper target.
After each sequence, discuss: “Did that feel too loud or just right?” This helps connect the level of force to the resulting sound and internal feeling.

Safety Tip:
Ensure the playing surface is stable so that the child can focus on the control of their fine motor movements and not worry about items slipping.

Stick Weave Loom

Steps:

Adult Prep: Use the hole puncher to make 10 to 12 holes evenly around the edge of the paper plate.
Help your child push a craft stick straight through each punched hole. The sticks should stand up firmly like fence posts.
Show your child how to stabilize the paper plate with their helper hand to keep it steady on the table.
Take one pipe cleaner and curl the end slightly to create a dull ‘needle’ point for safe threading.
Challenge your child to weave the pipe cleaner through the sticks following an ‘over, under, over, under’ pattern.
Continue weaving the pipe cleaner until the entire stick fence is connected by the colorful web. Try different colored pipe cleaners for the next round.

Safety Tip:
Close adult supervision is required. Ensure that the ends of the pipe cleaners are curled to prevent scratches. Small pieces of cut pipe cleaner pose a potential choking hazard.