Masking Tape - Page 48 of 50

Paper Chain

Setup: On several different colors of construction paper, use a thick marker to draw straight lines spaced about 1 to 1.5 inches apart across the width of the paper.

Steps:

Practice Scissor Grasp: Hand your child child-safe scissors. Encourage them to hold the scissors with their “thumb up” toward the ceiling.
Cut the Strips: Ask your child to cut along the thick marker lines you drew. Remind them to hold the paper steady with their “helper hand” while their cutting hand moves the scissors.
Make the First Loop: Take one cut strip. Show your child how to place a small dot or swipe of glue on one end of the strip. Curl the strip around to meet the glued end, pressing firmly to create your first circle.
Connect the Chain: Take a new strip of a different color. Thread this new strip through the center of your first completed circle loop.
Glue and Repeat: Once the new strip is threaded through, glue its ends together to lock it into the chain. Continue this process—thread, then glue—until all the strips are used!

A Day at the Beach Obstacle Course

Place towels, sunscreen, hat, ball, bucket, and pail & shovel at one end of the room, or play area.

Place the beach bag/basket on the other end.

Using the tape, mark a trail from the items to the beach bag.

Place the chair, step stool, and pillows (covered with the blanket) along the trail you marked.

Ask the child to transfer one item at a time and place it in the beach bag, following the trail, by crawling under the chair, walking up and down the step-stool (you can also put more than one and have the child go up and down several times), and walking on the blanket-covered pillows.

Marble Painting The American Flag

End Result - marble painting of the American flag

We made this version of an American flag, using red and blue paint, marbles, and aluminum foil pan.

Step 1:

Tape a piece of construction paper to the bottom of the aluminum foil pan.

We will use another piece of construction paper to create a template that will help separate the red paint and the blue paint on the flag.

Step 2:

Ask the child to cut a rectangle shape from the construction paper. Keep both pieces of the construction paper.

Step 3:

Tape the small rectangle template on the top right corner.

Step 4 – Starting to work on blue lines:

Dip the marbles in blue color or squeeze blue color on the construction paper in a few spots.

Step 5:

Place the marbles in the aluminum foil pan and ask the child to move the foil pan from side to side to create long blue lines.

Step 6:

Remove the small rectangle template and place the rest of the construction paper on top of the blue colored lines.

Step 7 – Starting to work on red lines:

Dip marbles in red color or squeeze red color on the construction paper in a few spots.

Step 8:

Place the marbles in the aluminum foil pan and ask the child to move the foil pan from side to side.

Step 9 – Uncover the flag:

Remove the construction paper to uncover the American flag.

Balance on the Web

Using the masking tape, create a large spider web shape on the floor or carpet. Place the container in the center of the web.

Place different objects to be picked up inside the spider web. Ping-pong balls and bean bags work well for this purpose.

Ask the child to walk and stay on the web lines while picking up all the objects along the way and putting the objects in the container. As the child picks up the object, encourage him to squat down, reach for the object while staying on the line, pick up the object, and return to a standing position.

For grading, ask the child to throw the objects into the container and use a point system where the child gets a point for scoring and loses a point if he falls off the spider web line.

You can also work on pincer grasp by using small objects, such as plastic bugs, and have the child use tongs or tweezers to pick up the items.

Leveled Cup

Fill the empty water bottle with colored water using food coloring.

Use different color masking tape or markers to mark water levels on the paper cups.

Make sure to mark the levels on the higher side. This will help achieve full forearm pronation.

Ask the child to take the filled bottle and fill the cups up until the water reaches the marker.

Encourage proper pronation of the wrist while filling the paper cups.

For grading, use a squirt bottle to work on finger strengthening as the child is squeezing the water out of the bottle to fill up the cups.