Skill: Bilateral Hand Use

The ability to use both hands together as a team. We use this for almost everything, like holding the paper with one hand while cutting with the other, or buttoning a shirt.

Fine Motor Marble Maze

Marble Maze playing

In this activity, we create a marble maze to promote fine motor skills.

Start by gluing the straws on the cardboard. You will need to glue each straw on the opposite side as follows:

  • Glue the 1st straw aligned to the left edge of the cardboard
  • Glue next straw aligned to the right side of the cardboard
  • Keep gluing straws all the way to the bottom of the cardboard
  • Make sure to create a space for the marble to go through between the straws
  • The end result should look like this:
    Marble Maze straws

Let the glue dry.

We used a gallon size zip lock bag but you can use a smaller zip lock bag to create a smaller maze.

At the bottom edge of the zip lock bag, cut a small slit. Make sure you cut it on the side the marble will come out from.

Once the glue is dry and the straws are secured, insert the cardboard into the ziplock bag.

Close the ziplock bag almost all the way, leaving a small opening for the marble to fit in.

Put the marble through the opening and start moving it with your finger through the maze until it comes out at the bottom.

You can alternate the fingers you use to move the marble or you can use both hands to hold the cardboard and move it from side to side, letting the marble slide out.

Paper Roll Caterpillar

Caterpillar shape glued

Using the pencil and the ruler, mark the toilet roll every 2 inches and draw around the tube. These will be cutting lines we will use to create the paper roll caterpillar body.

Take the scissors and cut around the marks you have made so that you are left with several short tubes.

Paint the tubes both on the inside and outside, it is more effective if you paint the outside a different color to the inside.

Glue the tubes to each other, end to end, putting one tube aside to use for the head later.

Glue the head tube on the top of the last tube in the chain.

Using the glue, stick the two wiggle eyes on the head.

Draw a mouth just below the wiggle eyes.

Using the felt or the pipe cleaners, cut two short pieces and stick onto the top of the head to make antenna.

Cut two more pieces for each body section the caterpillar has and stick these onto the bottom to create legs.

Forky from Toy Story

Forky - Toy Story 4

Building your own Forky character can help promote bilateral coordination and grasp skills.

Forky’s Face

To create Forky, we will need a plastic spork or a spoon.

Glue 2 different size wiggle eyes to the backside of the spork.

Use a red or pink marker to color the cheeks.

Roll blue playdough between your hands to create a thin line. Attach the 2 ends of the line to form a mouth for Forky and glue it on the spork.

Roll a piece of red playdough between your hands to create a thin line for the eyebrow.

Feet

Cut or break the craft stick to 2 equal size sticks.

Roll a piece of playdough between your hands to create a ball.

Stick the cut edge of the craft sticks into the playdough.

Flatten the bottom and use your finger to pinch the top-up.

Use markers to write your name on the bottom of the feet.

Body

Stick the spork into the top part of the playdough ball.

Arms

Find the middle of the red pipe cleaner.

Wrap the pipe cleaner around the spork just below the face.

Create palms at both ends of the pipe cleaners by folding the edges into a wiggly line.

Colorful flower art

Colorful flower art

Use the scissors to cut 1/2 inch wide lines along the toilet paper roll. Do not cut all the way to the other side. These will become the flower petals.

Paint the cut toilet paper roll.

Put a few glue dots on the tissue paper.

Crumple the tissue paper to a ball. This will be the flower pistil in the center.

Glue the crumpled tissue paper to the painted toilet paper roll.

Marble Painting The American Flag

End Result - marble painting of the American flag

We made this version of an American flag, using red and blue paint, marbles, and aluminum foil pan.

Step 1:

Tape a piece of construction paper to the bottom of the aluminum foil pan.

We will use another piece of construction paper to create a template that will help separate the red paint and the blue paint on the flag.

Step 2:

Ask the child to cut a rectangle shape from the construction paper. Keep both pieces of the construction paper.

Step 3:

Tape the small rectangle template on the top right corner.

Step 4 – Starting to work on blue lines:

Dip the marbles in blue color or squeeze blue color on the construction paper in a few spots.

Step 5:

Place the marbles in the aluminum foil pan and ask the child to move the foil pan from side to side to create long blue lines.

Step 6:

Remove the small rectangle template and place the rest of the construction paper on top of the blue colored lines.

Step 7 – Starting to work on red lines:

Dip marbles in red color or squeeze red color on the construction paper in a few spots.

Step 8:

Place the marbles in the aluminum foil pan and ask the child to move the foil pan from side to side.

Step 9 – Uncover the flag:

Remove the construction paper to uncover the American flag.