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.
Cut tissue paper into 1-inch strips.
Using the markers color the crafts sticks.
Glue the crafts onto the toilet paper roll.
Glue tissue paper onto the inside of the toilet paper roll.
On the opposite end of the toilet paper roll, attach a string using tape to the inside.
Provide the child with different size beads and encourage him to use only his thumb and index finger to pick up one bead at a time.
The child strings the beads using his dominant hand to manipulate the lace and his non-dominant hand to hold the bead.
You want to make sure the child does not stabilize his arms on the table or push his elbows into the sides of his body for stabilization.
Remember that stabilization should occur at the shoulders and make sure the elbows are a couple of inches away from the trunk.
Cut a 3-inch horizontal line across the tennis ball (so when you squeeze the ball, it looks like the tennis ball is opening a mouth). Put the coins (beans or beads can be used as well with older kids) on the table, in front of the child.
First, show the child how to squeeze the ball so it opens its mouth using only one hand (preferably the dominant hand). Then have the child pick up the coins, one coin at a time, using a pincer grasp and “feed” the ball by squeezing it with the other hand and opening its mouth.
To work on finger translation, ask the child to pick up 2-3 coins at one time and “feed” the tennis ball one coin at a time.
Download and print the Star Fish template.
Ask the child to cut out the star fish image. For children that have difficulties with cutting skills, it is recommended to cut on heavier paper (i.e card-stock or construction paper), and provide with thicker lines/boundaries.
Using the tissue paper, instruct the child to tear pieces of the paper and crumble them into small balls. Encourage the child to move his thumb, pointer, and middle fingers in a circular motion.
Have the child glue the tissue paper balls on the star fish.
If you are using construction paper only, you can cut strips of paper, and let the child tear small pieces to glue on the star fish. If using beans, buttons, or sequins, you can promote pincer grasp by using tongs/tweezers to pick up the items to glue. Stickers can also be used.
The first step is to cut all the shapes out of the felt. Using a pencil, draw the shapes onto the felt so that you know where to cut. You will need two of each the bird’s body, eyes, wings, and beak.
The bird body can be as detailed or as simple as you would like. For the wings, cut out two heart shapes, and for the beak, two small triangles. For the eyes cut two slightly larger circles out of white felt and two smaller circle out of black felt.
Once all the pieces have been drawn and cut, take a few cotton balls and lay them on top of one of the body pieces.
Place some glue all around the edge of the bird shape and stick the other body piece on top, pressing around the edges so that the cotton balls are in the middle, creating stuffing.
Stick the two wing shapes on either side of the body.
On the head of the bird, first stick a white circle on each side of the head, then on top of this, stick the black circles.
Take the beak shapes and stick these on the front of the bird. You will need to stick the two beak pieces to each other as well as the head of the bird.
