Bilateral Hand Use - Page 2 of 104

The Sticky Tape Hand Claps

Steps:

Place a pile of soft cotton balls and colorful feathers on a piece of construction paper.
Wrap a loop of masking tape around your child’s palms with the sticky side facing out.
Encourage your child to clap their hands onto the cotton balls and feathers to make them stick.
Show them how to use one hand to peel the treasures off the other hand.
Drop the rescued items into a small basket and start the game again!

Safety Tip:
CHOKING HAZARD: This activity uses masking tape and small materials. Always supervise your toddler closely. Ensure they do not put the tape or feathers in their mouth.

The Stocking Marble Zone Trap

Steps:

Lay a long stocking flat on a table.
Use markers to draw three colorful Goal Zones along the stocking leg.
Drop one marble into the top of the stocking.
Use your helper hand to hold the stocking top up high.
Use the other hand to squeeze a clothespin open.
Clip the pin onto the stocking to trap the marble in a zone.
Remove the pin and try to catch the marble in a different zone!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child during play. Marbles are a serious choking hazard. Keep all small parts away from the mouth.

The Fuzzy Path Finger Explorer

Steps:

Use your markers to draw a long, winding path across your piece of cardboard.
Help your child glue small pieces of fuzzy felt and soft cotton balls along the first half of the path.
On the second half of the path, glue down smooth buttons and shiny sequins to change the texture.
Once the glue is dry, ask your child to hold the cardboard steady with their helper hand.
Use the index and middle fingers of the other hand to walk like a tiny person along the fuzzy and smooth path.
Encourage them to stay inside the marker lines as they explore each new feeling.
Try again using the other hand to give both sides of the body a workout!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child during play. Small buttons and sequins are choking hazards. Keep all materials away from the mouth.

The Vertical Pipe Cleaner Meadow

Steps:

Use markers to draw a bright green field of grass on your cardboard.
Use your scissors to snip five small, narrow slits across the top of the cardboard.
Use masking tape to secure the cardboard vertically to a wall at your child’s shoulder height.
Give your child several pipe cleaners to act as flower stems.
Ask them to hold the board with their helper hand while pushing a stem into a slit.
Use a pincer grasp to balance a colorful pom-pom on top of each fuzzy stem.

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child during play. Pipe cleaners can have sharp metal ends, so tuck them in. Small pom-poms are a choking hazard.

The Floating Balloon Anchor

Steps:

Fill a large bucket halfway with water.
Blow up a balloon and tie it tightly.
Cut a piece of string about one foot long.
Tie one end of the string to the balloon knot.
Tie the other end to a single paper clip.
Place the balloon in the water so it floats.
Ask your child to link more paper clips onto the first one.
Watch as the chain grows longer and heavier.
Keep adding clips until the balloon starts to sink!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child during water play. Paper clips and balloons are small parts. They can be a choking hazard. Pick up any popped balloon pieces right away.