Material: Craft Sticks

Pillow Bridge Balance

Pillow Bridge Balance

Steps:

  • Set up a ‘Pillow Bridge’ by placing a large, firm pillow or cushion on the floor (use a couch cushion if available).
  • Place a small stack of craft sticks within easy reach on the floor on one side of the pillow. Place 3-4 empty paper cups on the floor just beyond comfortable reaching distance on the opposite side.
  • Ask your child to lie on their stomach over the pillow, draping their body so their belly and hips are supported (this is called prone extension).
  • Encourage your child to reach across the ‘bridge’ with both hands to pick up a craft stick, then stretch forward to place the stick carefully into one of the empty cups. Try to fill all the cups!
  • To add a challenge, move the cups slightly further away or ask them to sort the sticks by color into different cups, encouraging sustained reaching.

Safety Tip:
Always supervise this activity closely. Ensure the pillow is stable and soft enough for comfortable support. Stop the activity if your child experiences neck strain or fatigue. They should lift their head and chest, keeping their shoulders engaged.

Coil Wrap Precision

Coil Wrap Precision

Steps:

  • Use markers to color the craft sticks with different patterns or colors. This makes the finished product more visually appealing.
  • Place the colored craft stick flat on the table and hold it firmly with your helper hand to keep it from rolling (proximal stability).
  • Take one pipe cleaner. Use the fingertips of your dominant hand to tightly wrap the pipe cleaner around the craft stick, creating neat, tight coils.
  • Try to wrap the coil as close and tight as possible. When one pipe cleaner is finished, secure the end and wrap a new one until the stick is covered.
  • Open the container of small stickers. Use your precise pincer grasp to peel one sticker off the backing.
  • Challenge yourself to place the small sticker exactly onto one of the tight pipe cleaner coils. Use a firm press to secure it. Fill the coils with colorful stickers!

Safety Tip:
Ensure the child maintains good seated posture (feet flat on the floor) to support the fine motor movements. Check the ends of the pipe cleaners for sharp edges before starting.

Forky from Toy Story

Forky - Toy Story 4

Building your own Forky character can help promote bilateral coordination and grasp skills.

Forky’s Face

To create Forky, we will need a plastic spork or a spoon.

Glue 2 different size wiggle eyes to the backside of the spork.

Use a red or pink marker to color the cheeks.

Roll blue playdough between your hands to create a thin line. Attach the 2 ends of the line to form a mouth for Forky and glue it on the spork.

Roll a piece of red playdough between your hands to create a thin line for the eyebrow.

Feet

Cut or break the craft stick to 2 equal size sticks.

Roll a piece of playdough between your hands to create a ball.

Stick the cut edge of the craft sticks into the playdough.

Flatten the bottom and use your finger to pinch the top-up.

Use markers to write your name on the bottom of the feet.

Body

Stick the spork into the top part of the playdough ball.

Arms

Find the middle of the red pipe cleaner.

Wrap the pipe cleaner around the spork just below the face.

Create palms at both ends of the pipe cleaners by folding the edges into a wiggly line.

Stick Animals

For each animal, you will need to use 1 craft stick and 3 pipe cleaners.

The craft stick will be used as the animal’s body and the pipe cleaners will be used as the front and back legs, as well as the tail.

Let the child find the middle point of the pipe cleaner.

Ask the child to twist the pipe cleaner around the craft stick from both ends of the pipe cleaner along one side of the craft stick.

Ask the child to stop twisting the pipe cleaner when about 1.5″ is left from each side. These can be shaped like the legs by bending the ends of the pipe cleaner forward.

Repeat the pipe cleaner twisting above on the other end of the craft stick.

Cut a small piece of the 3rd pipe cleaner and let the child glue it to the end of the craft stick. This will be used as the animal’s tale.

The child can now draw a face on the front end of the craft stick or use stickers to decorate his animal.

Wind Sock

Cut tissue paper into 1-inch strips.

Using the markers color the crafts sticks.

Glue the crafts onto the toilet paper roll.

Glue tissue paper onto the inside of the toilet paper roll.

On the opposite end of the toilet paper roll, attach a string using tape to the inside.