Toothpicks - OTPlan

Pom-pom Poking Garden

Steps:

Set up the ‘garden bed’ by pressing a large chunk of playdough firmly into the bottom or lid of the plastic container, creating a flat, stable surface (the ‘soil’).
Give the child a handful of toothpicks. Encourage them to hold the toothpick using their three working fingers (thumb, index, and middle finger) just like they hold a pencil, and poke several deep ‘starter holes’ into the playdough.
Present the pom-poms (the ‘flowers’). Challenge the child to pick up one pom-pom at a time using only their thumb and index finger (a strong pincer grasp).
The child then carefully places the pom-pom onto the top of an upright toothpick, creating a colorful and pointy ‘garden.’ Continue until the garden is full!
When finished, encourage the child to carefully remove the pom-poms and toothpicks, working on the opposite motion (pulling up) to vary the resistance.

Safety Tip:
Always supervise closely due to the sharp ends of the toothpicks. Ensure the child remains seated while working to maintain focus and stability, discouraging standing or carrying the toothpicks while walking.

Pom-Pom Skyscraper

Steps:

Set up the building zone by placing the Styrofoam block on the table and putting the bowl of toothpicks and pom-poms beside it.
Encourage your child to use their dominant hand to push the sharp end of the toothpicks straight down into the Styrofoam, creating tall ‘towers’ in a pattern or design. Remind them to use their helper hand to stabilize and hold the foam block steady.
Once the ‘skyscrapers’ are built, challenge the child to use a neat pincer grasp (thumb and index finger) to carefully place one pom-pom onto the top of each exposed toothpick tip, trying to balance it gently.

Safety Tip:
Due to the sharp nature of toothpicks, this activity requires direct adult supervision. Ensure the child understands the toothpicks are only for building and must never be put near the face or mouth.

Pick the Toothpick

Put a piece of styrofoam sheet or block on the floor or on a slanted surface and have the child push the toothpicks into the styrofoam.

If the styrofoam is on the floor have the child lay prone and weight bear on the elbows.

Give the child a shape, a letter, or a pattern to trace over in order to develop visual-motor skills.

Fruit Building

Cut the fruit to bite size pieces and put them on a plate or in a container.

Provide the child with toothpicks (you can use different color and size toothpicks, wooden toothpicks, or plastic toothpicks).

Let the child poke the toothpicks into the fruit pieces and promote him/her to create a structure using his/her imagination and creativity.

When the structure is complete, encourage the child to “take it apart” by eating the fruit.

PickUp Straws Game

Hold all the straws or pipe-cleaners together in your palm or have the child hold them this way and let go of all of them at once.

Once they are spread, ask the child to pick up one straw at a time, without moving the other straws.

Take turns picking up the straws.

If you or the child moves other straws when picking up a straw, the game is over. The winner is the one who has the most straws.

Another version of the game could be to ask the child to pick up a certain color of straws:

Start by holding all the straws together and let all of them go at once. Once they are spread, ask the child to first pick up all the blue straws, then all the green straws, and so on (for this version of the game, it’s OK if the other straws are moving).

For young children or those with poor grasp, use wider straws.