Material: Paper

Tactile Cards

Preparation for activity: creating the tactile cards

    • Step 1 – Create the tactile cards by writing letters or sight words on each card.
    • Step 2 – Create a matching set of cards
    • Step 3 – Go over each letter or word with puffy paint or glitter glue. Let dry overnight. This creates raised letters on the cards.

You can have the child help you with the preparation part by either writing the letters/words or by tracing them (after you write them)with the puffy paint or glitter glue.

Activity:

    • Step 1 – Mix up the cards and place them face down on the table so that the child can not see the letters.
    • Step 2 – Each player takes a turn by turning over two cards attempting to match the letters or words.
    • Step 3 – If the player matches a letter or a word, the player should trace over the raised letter or word using his finger while saying the letter or word aloud.
      If the player is unable to find a match, it is the next player’s turn.
    • Step 4 – Continue play until all the matches are found.

Modifications:

    • Play on carpeted area and instruct the child to play while on all fours instead of sitting at a table. This position provides proprioceptive input.
    • Place a card on the table with the letter or word facing up. Place a piece of paper over the card. The child can then rub the crayon over the letter or word to reveal what letter/word it is.

Spelling Push Ups

Use the construction paper, the pen and the scissors to cut out letters of the alpha-bet. You will need more than 1 of each letter. You can also use pre-cut letters.

Spread the letters on the floor or a mat in a random order. Help the child lay prone on the therapy ball. The child should be able to touch the floor. Instruct the child to use his hands and reach out to grab one letter at a time, then to walk back and place the letter in front of them. After the child gets all the letters he needed, he can spell the word.

You can also use magnetic letters and a magnetic board, or use math equations where the child has to walk out and grab the correct answer.

Lunch Box

Let the child pick a color of construction paper (paper size should be A4).

Draw a line in the middle of the construction paper and ask the child to fold the paper accurately on the line. This works on his fine manual control skills.

On a separate construction paper, draw 2 handle shapes and ask the child to cut it along the lines. These handle shapes will be used as the lunch box handles.

Ask the child to glue the handles to the top ends of the folded paper (the child should be able to open/close the folded paper as a lunch bag).

Have the child draw what they had or brought for lunch on the inside of the folded construction paper or have the child cut and glue pictures of food items from newspapers/magazines.

Allow the child to decorate the outside “lunch box” using the crayons, markers, and colored pencils.

Shape and Grasp

Draw a simple shape (e.g. house, boat, tree) using the markers on the paper.

Ask the child to lay prone on the floor resting on his elbows.

Ask the child to use the tweezers to pick up the beads or pom-poms and place them on the shape you drew on the paper.

Tic Tac Write

Make a tic-tac-toe board using the markers, crayons, or pen.

Let the child choose a letter (focus on the letters that are difficult for the child to form).

Play the tic-tac-toe game, taking turns, writing the letters the child chose and making sure the child forms the letters correctly and places them inside the lines you drew.

For grading, make the tic-tac-toe board boxes in smaller or bigger size.