Bilateral Hand Use - Page 54 of 101

Paper Crumple Pin Push

Steps:

Tear the construction paper into small pieces. Encourage your child to crumple these pieces tightly into dense, hard balls using both hands.
Spread a thick layer of glue or use masking tape loops to secure the crumpled paper balls onto the cardboard base, covering the surface completely. Let it dry to create a resistant layer.
Place the finished board on a stable table. Hold the cardboard base firmly steady with your helper hand. This is important for proximal stability.
Pick up one Q-Tip using a neat pincer grasp (thumb and pointer finger). Aim the Q-Tip at the resistant paper layer.
Challenge your child to use a strong, controlled push to pierce the Q-Tip straight through the dense paper. Feel the heavy work input!
Repeat this pushing action until the entire board is filled with Q-Tip ‘pins.’
Use a precise pincer grasp to place a pom-pom onto the top of each Q-Tip stem for decoration.

Safety Tip:
Constant and direct adult supervision is required. Q-Tips and small pom-poms are choking hazards for children who still place objects in their mouths. Ensure materials are used only as intended and collected immediately after play.

Resistant Yarn Unravel

Steps:

Press a large lump of firm playdough onto the heavy block to create a dense base.
Wet a long piece of yarn slightly to increase the friction and resistance.
Tightly wrap the damp yarn all the way around the playdough-covered block. Leave a small yarn tail sticking out.
Place the wrapped block on a stable table. Hold the base firmly steady with your helper hand.
Use your working hand to pinch the yarn tail with a strong pincer grasp.
Pull the yarn steadily and forcefully to unravel it from the resistant playdough anchor.
Repeat the wrapping and unwrapping process to continue the heavy work challenge.

Safety Tip:
Constant and direct adult supervision is required. Yarn and playdough are small objects. They pose a choking hazard for children who still place items in their mouths. Ensure the child maintains a stable seated position while pulling.

Foil Sculpture Clip Art

Steps:

Give your child a large sheet of aluminum foil. Encourage them to use both hands to tear the foil into smaller pieces.
Challenge them to crumple and squeeze the foil pieces tightly. Focus on making dense, rock-hard 3D shapes.
Adults can use scissors to cut small shapes or strips from the construction paper. Glue these shapes onto the ends of the clothespins.
Place the foil sculpture on the table. Hold the foil sculpture steady with your helper hand.
Use your dominant hand to pinch open a clothespin. Clip the decorative paper firmly onto the resistant foil surface.
Continue clipping the clothespins onto the stiff foil until the entire sculpture is covered in color.

Safety Tip:
Constant and direct adult supervision is required. Ensure children crumple the foil tightly to avoid sharp edges. Collect all small foil pieces immediately after play.

Foil Freight Slot Push

Steps:

Adult Prep: Use scissors to cut a 1-inch vertical slit down the center of the paper roll. Secure the roll upright onto a piece of cardboard using masking tape.
Give your child small squares of aluminum foil. Encourage them to use both hands to tear the foil into smaller pieces for heavy work input.
Challenge your child to squeeze and crumple each foil piece tightly into a small, dense ‘cargo ball.’ Squeezing hard builds hand strength.
Hold the paper roll chute firmly steady with your helper hand. This provides proximal stability for the working hand.
Pick up one dense foil ball using a neat pincer grasp (thumb and pointer finger). Aim the ball at the narrow slit.
Use a controlled push to feed the foil cargo completely through the slot. Drop it into the container below. Repeat until all cargo is delivered.

Safety Tip:
Constant and direct adult supervision is required. Small, dense foil balls pose a potential choking hazard for children under five. Ensure the foil is crumpled tightly to avoid sharp edges.

Tear & Thread Cardboard Chain

Steps:

Adult Prep: Secure a piece of construction paper onto a stable piece of cardboard. Use the hole puncher to create 8 to 10 holes evenly around the edges of the board.
Give your child strips of sturdy cardboard. Encourage them to use both hands to tear the strips and crumple the pieces into tight, dense balls. Drop the finished balls into the container.
Pick up one colorful pipe cleaner. Help your child push the stiff pipe cleaner straight through the center of one dense cardboard ball. This creates a ‘loaded pin’.
Challenge your child to hold the cardboard frame steady with their helper hand. Thread the loaded pin through one punched hole in the frame. Pull the pipe cleaner through.
Weave the pin back through the next open hole, linking the crumpled cardboard ball to the frame. Repeat this process until all the crumpled pieces create a colorful chain around the border.

Safety Tip:
Constant and direct adult supervision is required. Small pieces of torn cardboard and cut pipe cleaners are small objects and pose a significant choking hazard for children who still place items in their mouths.