Bilateral Hand Use - Page 24 of 55

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.

Mummy Hand Wrap

Steps:

Prep several sheets of tissue paper and show your child how to tear it into long, ribbon-like strips. Tearing is a great workout for the small hand muscles!
Help your child secure the end of one tissue paper strip onto the stuffed animal’s leg or arm using a small piece of masking tape.
Challenge them to use two hands to carefully wrap the ‘mummy bandage’ all the way around the stuffed animal until it is fully covered (or mummified!).
When the toy is wrapped, secure the final end with another piece of tape, then enjoy the fun process of unwrapping and tearing off the bandages!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise children during tearing activities to ensure paper is not put into the mouth. Keep the play area tidy, as tissue paper can become a slipping hazard if left scattered on the floor.

Web Lacing Rescue

Steps:

Adult Prep: Lay strips of masking tape sticky-side up across the cardboard edge, securing the ends underneath to make a sticky “loom.”
Leave about one inch of space between each sticky tape strip.
Cut a piece of yarn about 18 inches long. Tape one end of the yarn securely to the end of a craft stick to create your ‘needle.’
Hold the cardboard loom steady with your helper hand. Use your dominant hand to weave the craft stick and yarn “needle” under the first tape strip.
Next, challenge yourself to weave the yarn *over* the second tape strip, then under the third, creating a woven pattern across the sticky web.
Continue weaving across the web. When finished, carefully peel the woven yarn and tape off the cardboard to reveal your colorful woven mat!

Safety Tip:
Ensure the craft stick has no sharp edges before taping the yarn on. Closely supervise the child to ensure they do not pull the masking tape off the surface and place it in their mouth.

Noodle Chop Sort

Steps:

Use markers to color strips of paper that match the colors of your pool noodle. Tape these colored strips onto two separate baskets to create sorting targets.
Give your child the pool noodle and a pair of safety scissors. Encourage them to hold the noodle firmly with their ‘helper hand’ to keep it steady.
Challenge your child to cut the pool noodle into small, thin ‘coins’ or ‘slices.’ Remind them to use strong, full squeezes of the scissors.
Once the noodle is completely chopped, ask your child to look at the color targets. Sort the colorful foam coins into the matching color baskets.

Safety Tip:
Always supervise closely when using scissors. Use child-safe scissors appropriate for their hand size. Since the age range includes younger preschoolers, ensure that cut noodle pieces are not placed in the mouth, as they can pose a choking hazard if ingested.

Putty Treasure Dig

Steps:

Prepare the ‘treasure’ by breaking 8-10 pipe cleaners into halves. Hide them deeply inside a large ball of playdough (this is the ‘monster mash’). Place the playdough in a plastic container or on a safe mat.
Challenge your child to become a ‘Treasure Hunter.’ Use two hands to squeeze, stretch, pull, and mash the playdough to uncover all the buried pipe cleaner pieces.
Encourage them to use different hand movements: squeezing the dough with their whole hand, pushing down with their thumbs, and stretching it apart using both hands together.
Once all the pieces are found, help them reshape the dough back into a ball. They can hide the treasure again or count how many ‘gems’ they found!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise this activity closely. Ensure that the child understands that the playdough and pipe cleaners are not food items. Wash hands thoroughly when finished.