Bilateral Hand Use - Page 31 of 101

The Egg Carton Bridge Weaver

Steps:

Flip your empty egg carton upside down on the table.
Use your markers to draw small dots on the very top of each egg cup.
Adult step: Use scissors to poke a small, narrow hole through each marker dot.
Give your child a pipe cleaner and ask them to push one end into a hole.
Encourage them to bend the pipe cleaner over to a different egg cup.
Have them push the other end into a second hole to make a bridge.
Continue adding pipe cleaners to create a crisscross web over the peaks.
Challenge them to see how many colorful bridges they can build without any collapsing!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child when they are using scissors or pipe cleaners to avoid pokes.

The Coffee Filter Magic Flower

Steps:

Set out a few white coffee filters on a tray or plastic container.
Show your child how to fold the coffee filter in half, then in half again.
Mix a few drops of food coloring into small cups of water.
Have your child squeeze the eyedropper to soak up the colorful water.
Encourage them to carefully drop the water onto the folded edges of the filter.
Slowly unfold the wet filter to see a beautiful, colorful pattern.
Let the filters dry to create magic flowers or window art!

Safety Tip:
Food coloring can stain clothes and surfaces. Use a tray to keep the water contained. Always supervise your child when using the eyedropper and water.

The Palm-Flip Treasure Drop

Steps:

Use masking tape to secure a paper cup to the edge of a sturdy table.
Place a small pile of coins on the table next to the cup.
Ask your child to rest their forearm on the table with their palm facing down.
Place one coin on the back of their hand.
Encourage them to rotate their wrist until the palm faces up so the coin sits in their palm.
If they feel wobbly, have them use their other hand to help stabilize the arm.
Finally, use a pincer grasp to drop the coin into the cup!

Safety Tip:
Coins are a choking hazard. Always supervise your child. Do not let them put coins in their mouth.

The Tilted Straw Maze

Steps:

Use markers to draw a start and finish line on a paper plate.
Cut colorful straws into several small pieces using your scissors.
Glue the straw pieces onto the plate to build maze walls.
Leave enough space between the straws for a marble to roll.
Place a marble at the start line once the glue is dry.
Hold the plate with both hands and tilt it to move the marble.
Try to reach the finish line without the marble falling off!

Safety Tip:
Marbles are a significant choking hazard. Always supervise children during play and keep all small materials away from younger siblings.

The Spinning Ribbon Wand

Steps:

Cut three colorful ribbons into two-foot lengths.
Wrap the ends of the ribbons around the top of a craft stick.
Secure the ribbons tightly with a piece of masking tape.
Ask your child to hold the stick in their dominant hand.
Encourage them to twist their wrist to make the ribbons spiral.
Challenge them to draw big circles in the air with the wand.

Safety Tip:
Supervise your child at all times when using long ribbons to avoid entanglement. Keep scissors out of reach after the ribbons are cut.