Material: Masking Tape

Balance the Beans

Place a container full of beans on one end of the room or the area you work in and an empty container on the other end.

Use the tape to mark a straight line between the two containers. Have the child hold the spoon in one hand (preferably the child’s preferred hand) and ask the child to scoop a spoonful of beans.

Instruct the child to walk on the line that you’ve marked and transferred the beans on his spoon from one side to the other side, placing the beans in the empty container.

Repeat the activity until the empty container is filled with beans.

To provide proprioceptive input, ask the child to use animal walks (i.e. bear walk, crab walk, frog jumps, etc.) to get back to the starting point side (where the container filled with beans is).

You can also mark a curved path or a crooked path with the tape or you can use a balance beam to make the activity more challenging.

For strengthening purpose, you can put a weighted wrist bend on the child’s hand (the one used to hold the spoon).

It’s also fun to do this activity in a group session. Have a spoon rally to see who can fill up the empty container first.

Recycled Jug Catcher

For this activity, an adult’s help and supervision are required.

Use a plastic milk container with a handle. Wash the container thoroughly and let dry.

Using a permanent marker, draw a line all the way around the container, about 2 inches up from the bottom. Depending on the child’s developmental skills, ask the child to cut around the line you drew, leaving the handle intact. You may want to help the child at this point and protect from sharp edges. Once you removed the bottom of the container, use the tape to cover the jug’s edges.

Provide the child with different stickers and allow him to decorate the jug to promote pincer grasp. You can also use colored masking tape or paper scraps to decorate your jug.

Take the newspaper and ask the child to ripe large pieces of paper and roll them into balls. Encourage the child to use both hands to ripe and roll the pieces of paper.

Once the jug and the newspaper balls are ready, let the child chose if he wants to first be the pitcher or the catcher. Stand away from each other and have the child either throw the balls into the jug or use the jug to catch the balls you throw. Exchange roles after all the balls are in the jug.

Ice Cream Scooper

Use brown, yellow, or white construction paper. Draw a 1/4 of a circle with a six-inch radius, and ask the child to cut the shape out. If needed, make the line bolder to increase accuracy. If using white paper, you can let the child color/paint it in any color he wishes to.

Assist the child as needed to fold the 1/4 circle into a cone shape. Secure with tape.

Provide the child with tissue paper sheets that are at least 5″ x 7″ in size. Instruct the child to crumble each sheet into a ball (scoop), and place it in the container.

Have the child hold the ice cream scoop in his dominant hand and the cone in his other hand. Instruct the child to scoop the paper balls one at a time, using the ice cream scoop, and put it into the cone.

Using strips of construction paper in different colors, ask the child to tear small pieces to use as sprinkles. Promote pincer grasp by having the child pick up one piece at a time to sprinkle on his ice cream.

To grade the activity, use different ice cream scoops (i.e. with the thumb lever, spring-loaded handle, etc.) or other materials for ice cream, such as pom-poms or play-dough.

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.

Paper Roll Sheep

Cut out an oval for the head of the sheep from the construction paper using the scissors.

The oval should be about half the length of the toilet roll tube.

Stick masking tape on the underside of the head and stick onto the inside of the tube. Then put some on the top of the head and onto the top of the tube.

Paint the head using black paint and stick on the wiggle eyes.

Take the masking tape and stick two of the sticks on each side of the tube to create legs.

Cover the tube in glue and stick on the cotton balls.