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.

Button The Shapes

For this activity, you will first need to create the button container using plastic containers with lids. Use the scissors to pierce a hole in the lid.

Take one button and insert a 3-inch pipe cleaner through 2 of the button holes.

Insert each edge of the pipe cleaner through the lid hole that you pierced and twist the 2 edges together on the bottom of the lid. This will hold the button in place on the lid.

Close the container with the lid so the button is at the top of the container.

Using a marker, mark a shape on the container.

Cut out pieces of felt in the same shapes that you marked the containers with. You can also use fabric for this.

Using the scissors, cut holes in the middle of each shape.

Provide the child with the button containers and the felt shapes. Ask the child to sort the felt pieces and button them on the right container marked with the matching shape.

For grading, you can use different sized buttons or you can also use one container with no marked shape and have the child follow a pattern from a visual model (i.e. button a circle, a triangle, and a rectangle in a repeated order).

Pizza Party

Preparation:

Retrieve the following items:

  1. Homemade playdough
  2. Red paint
  3. Spoon
  4. Topping (i.e. leaves, buttons, pompoms, etc.)

Play:

Have the child:

  1. Roll the playdough into a ball (encourage the child to use both hands when rolling the dough to work on bilateral coordination).
  2. Flat the ball to create the base of the pizza.
  3. Smear the red paint (i.e. “pizza sauce”) with a spoon or with their finger.
  4. Tear up tiny dough pieces to create the cheese.
  5. Sprinkle the cheese and toppings on the pizza.
  6. Garnish with leaves.

Enjoy playing with this pretend pizza!

Tip: After you are finished playing with the pretend pizza, fold it in half and use the fork to press down the edges to make a pretend empanada!

 

“The Claw”

Preparation:

  1. Take an empty cardboard box (with openings that create handles), and insert a gift wrapping paper tube through the openings.
  2. Tape a long piece of yarn to the gift wrapping paper tube.
  3. Draw a Toy Story Alien & cut it out.
  4. Tape the alien to the other end of the yarn.

Play:

Have the child place both hands toward the ends of gift wrapping paper tube (“The Claw”), to reel in the alien.

Instruct the child to use alternating hands, or both hands at the same time.

To add a challenge, have the child use their non-dominant hand, create a longer line of yarn, or add resistance.

To add resistance, draw and cut out an alien on 2 pieces of paper, place beans on one paper, then staple the other paper on top to seal the beans inside.

Ice Cube Handwash

Preparation:

Place toys and water in an ice tray, then freeze.
Inform others that this ice tray is for playing purposes only.

Play:

Step 1: Wash hands.

Step 2: Rub ice cubes under warm water.

Step 3: Continue until all toys break free.

Step 4: Dry toys.

Step 5: Dry hands.

Step 6: (If using letter beads, spell words). Sanitize toys safely & appropriately.

Step 7: Wash hands.

Step 8: Dry hands.

Warning:

Choking hazard. Supervise and assist as needed, as safety comes first. Use a strainer to avoid toys falling into the drain.

We hope this encourages more enjoyable time spent at the sink & boosts the motivation for those self-care skills!

Cooking French Fries

Cooking with French Fries

Step 1: Draw straight lines across yellow/orange/brown construction paper. Use markers that draw thicker, darker lines.

Step 2: Fold paper in half, so that the marked lines are visible.

Step 3: Cut along the folded part (down the middle of the page).

Step 4: Cut along the marked lines.

Step 5: Place “french fries” in a container.

Step 6: Add shredded paper for an added effect.

Step 7: Toss with tongs.

Step 8: Enjoy!

Tips:

  1. Warm-up with hand strengthening activities, such as playing with PlayDoh or slime.
  2. Using appropriate-sized scissors and snipping along thicker paper (such as construction paper or card stock) is a good place to start. Once they have reached that skill, we can progress to more challenging tasks, such as cutting along a 6-inch line.
  3. If needed, assist the child’s hand in stabilizing the paper.
  4. Explore adaptive scissors, as needed.