Markers - Page 32 of 50

Ripped Line Art

Steps:

Secure the cardboard vertically to a wall or door at your child’s chest height.
Use a marker to draw several long, curvy, or zigzag lines onto the cardboard surface.
Give your child a piece of construction paper. Encourage them to use both hands to tear the paper into small, jagged pieces. This takes strong finger effort!
Drop the torn pieces into the plastic container nearby.
Now, use the glue bottle to draw a thick, wavy line of glue directly next to one of the marker lines.
Challenge your child to pick up the torn paper pieces using a neat pincer grasp. Press each piece firmly onto the wet glue line, filling the entire path.
Repeat this process, covering all the drawn lines with colorful ripped paper pieces.

Safety Tip:
Constant adult supervision is required. Ensure that small pieces of torn paper are not put into the mouth, nose, or ears, as they pose a choking hazard for children under five. Ensure the vertical board is stable and secured well.

Squeeze and Slot Cups

Steps:

Adult Prep: Take a sturdy cardboard box and secure the lid shut with masking tape. Use scissors to cut one very narrow, tight slot (about 3 inches long) into the top center of the box.
Give your child the paper cups. Challenge them to use both hands to squeeze and crumple each cup as flat and stiff as possible. Encourage them to press hard to feel the crunch!
Pick up one flat, crumpled cup. Ask your child to hold the prepared box firmly with their helper hand to keep it steady on the table.
Challenge your child to aim the stiff edge of the cup into the narrow slot. They must use a strong, controlled push to send the crushed cup completely inside the box.
Repeat this crushing and slotting process until all the paper cups have been successfully posted inside the resistant box.

Safety Tip:
Constant adult supervision is required. Ensure that the cardboard box is stable and cannot tip over when the child applies pushing force. Adults must handle the scissors when cutting the resistant slot.

Stick Drop Loader

Steps:

Ask an adult to cut a small, sturdy rectangle from the cardboard. Use scissors to cut 4 to 6 very tight, narrow slits (about 1 inch long) across the cardboard surface.
Place the cardboard target vertically against a wall or laid flat on the table. Place the pom-poms and craft sticks nearby.
Challenge your child to pick up one pom-pom using only their thumb and pointer finger (pincer grasp).
Carefully hold the pom-pom and push one end of the craft stick into it until the pom-pom is firmly loaded onto the tip of the stick. This is tricky!
Hold the cardboard steady with the helper hand. Use the dominant hand to aim and push the loaded craft stick straight through the resistant slot.
The goal is to feel the push and send the loaded stick completely inside the target. Repeat until all the slots are full.

Safety Tip:
Craft sticks are small and pom-poms are choking hazards. Constant, direct adult supervision is required throughout this activity.

Tight Cardboard Ties

Steps:

Ask an adult to cut 6 to 8 small, sturdy shapes from the cardboard (squares and rectangles work best).
Encourage your child to use markers to decorate and color each cardboard piece.
Help your child break the pipe cleaners into shorter, 4-inch strips. This breaking provides good heavy work input.
Take two cardboard pieces. Hold them together firmly with one hand so the edges overlap.
Use your working hand to wrap one pipe cleaner strip tightly around the overlapping edges, twisting the ends together until the connection is secure.
Continue connecting pieces. Build a 3D structure like a cube, a robot, or a tall, zig-zagging tower.

Safety Tip:
Pipe cleaners can have sharp ends after being cut or broken. Constant, direct adult supervision is required. Ensure children do not place these small materials near their mouths, eyes, or ears.

Foil Push Bead Garden

Steps:

Place the Aluminium Foil Pan flat on the table. Use markers to draw a few small dots randomly on the pan’s bottom surface. These dots are your targets.
Set the pile of Beads and Golf Ball Tees next to the pan in a Plastic Container.
Hold the pan firmly with your helper hand. Pick up one Golf Ball Tee using a pincer grasp.
Pick up one bead and carefully balance it on the narrow end of the Golf Ball Tee.
Aim the tee and bead toward a marker dot. Use a strong, steady push to pierce the foil and drop the bead inside the pan.
Repeat this action until all the target dots have a bead successfully ‘planted’ through the foil.

Safety Tip:
Beads and golf tees are small, hard objects. They pose a choking hazard for children under five. Constant and direct adult supervision is required throughout this activity.