Craft Sticks - Page 13 of 18

Fence Post Push

Steps:

Adult Prep: Use the scissors to cut several narrow, short slots (about 1-inch long) across the surface of the cardboard. Keep the slots tight to add resistance.
Set up the area by standing the cardboard vertically on a table. Place the craft sticks in the container next to the cardboard barrier.
Show your child how to use their ‘helper hand’ to hold and stabilize the cardboard fence, keeping it perfectly steady.
Using the working hand, pick up one craft stick at a time. Aim the stick at a slot and use a strong, controlled push to insert it through the cardboard.
Encourage your child to continue inserting sticks until the entire cardboard is full of colorful fence posts. Try pushing sticks into slots placed at different heights.

Safety Tip:
Adult supervision is required during the preparation phase when using scissors. Ensure the child sits stably at the table while performing the pushing action.

Line Up Clips

Steps:

Use markers to color several craft sticks different bright colors.
Secure a long piece of string tautly between two chairs or tape it firmly to a wall at your child’s chest height. This is your clothesline.
Challenge your child to use a strong pincer grip to clip one clothespin onto the center of each colorful craft stick.
Have your child hold the string steady with their helper hand to provide a stable base.
Using their dominant hand, encourage them to clip the stick-and-clip unit onto the clothesline, lining up the colorful sticks in a specific order.

Safety Tip:
Clothespins can be small and pose a choking hazard for children under five. Always supervise this activity closely and ensure all pieces are collected after playtime.

Vertical Brick Layers

Find a safe vertical surface, like a sliding glass door, or just a regular wall. Use the masking tape to create a square “construction zone” frame on the surface, right at your child’s eye level.

Have your child pinch off small pieces of playdough and roll them into little balls using their thumb and index finger (this is the “cement”).

Ask your child to stick a playdough ball onto the back of a craft stick (the “brick”).

Now, have them press the craft stick firmly onto the wall inside the taped zone so it sticks. Challenge them to build straight rows of bricks from the bottom up to fill the whole square!

Safety Tip: Always supervise to ensure playdough is not eaten. Test a small piece of masking tape on your wall first to make sure it doesn’t damage paint or wallpaper when removed.

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.