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.

Newspaper Log Tongs Balance

Steps:

  • Help your child roll a single sheet of newspaper into a tight, long log.
  • Use masking tape to secure the ends and the middle of the log so it stays firm.
  • Repeat this to make three logs and lay them parallel on a flat table.
  • Hand your child a pair of tongs and a basket of colorful pom-poms.
  • Challenge them to pick up one pom-pom and carefully set it on top of a newspaper log.
  • Continue until each log is covered in a row of fuzzy pom-poms!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child during play. Pom-poms are a choking hazard. Keep them away from mouths.

The Vertical Cloud Garden

Steps:

  • Help your child pick four colorful paper cups for their wall garden.
  • Use your masking tape to stick the bottom of each cup to a wall.
  • Make sure the cups are at your child’s shoulder height to work those muscles.
  • Place a basket of soft cotton balls on the floor nearby.
  • Give your child the tongs and show them how to squeeze and pick up one ball.
  • Challenge them to reach up and drop the cotton ball into a cup!
  • Try using only their left hand for two cups and their right hand for the others.

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child during play to ensure they do not put cotton balls in their mouth.

The Foil Ring Noodle Slide

Steps:

  • Tear off five squares of aluminium foil about the size of a piece of bread.
  • Show your child how to roll each foil square into a long, thin snake.
  • Bend the foil snake into a circle and twist the ends to make a ring.
  • Use markers to draw different colored stripes on your pool noodle to create targets.
  • Ask your child to hold the pool noodle with one hand.
  • Use the other hand to slide a foil ring onto the end of the noodle.
  • Challenge them to slide the ring all the way to a matching color stripe!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child during play. Aluminium foil can have thin edges and small pieces can be a choking hazard.

The Foil Cupcake Scoop

The Foil Cupcake Scoop

Steps:

  • Tear off several small squares of aluminium foil using both hands.
  • Show your child how to crumple each foil square into a round ball to make ‘ice cream scoops.’
  • Place a baking cup on the table and have your child use their helper hand to hold it steady.
  • Use the spoon to scoop a foil ball and carefully place it inside the baking cup.
  • Once the ‘cupcake’ is in the cup, pick up a small bead using a pincer grasp (thumb and index finger).
  • Gently set the bead on top of the foil ball to act as a sprinkle.
  • Continue adding more ‘sprinkles’ until the cupcake is fully decorated!
  • Challenge your child to dump the cup and start again with a different colored bead.

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child closely during play. Small beads and crumpled foil can be a choking hazard, so ensure they do not put any materials in their mouth.

Felt Petal Patch Builder

Felt Petal Patch Builder

Steps:

  • Have your child choose two or three colorful sheets of felt to make their garden flowers.
  • Show your child how to use child-safe scissors to cut the felt into small, three-inch squares.
  • Ask them to fold each felt square in half.
  • Snip the corners to create rounded petal shapes.
  • Encourage your child to squeeze the hole puncher to click a hole in the center of each felt piece.
  • Roll a large, heavy ball of playdough using both hands.
  • Press it flat onto a paper plate to make a steady base.
  • Pick up a pipe cleaner.
  • Slide the felt petals onto it one by one using pinching fingers.
  • Push the bottom end of the pipe cleaner deep into the playdough base to plant their finished flower!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child closely during scissor play. Collect any small felt scraps or playdough bits immediately to prevent choking.