Distal Finger Control

The Silver Trap Button Rescue

Steps:

Place a handful of colorful buttons at the bottom of a small bowl.
Tear a sheet of aluminum foil large enough to cover the bowl.
Wrap the foil tightly over the top of the bowl.
Use masking tape around the edges to keep the foil secure.
Use a pencil to poke five small holes in the foil.
Give your child a pair of tweezers to hold.
Ask them to hold the bowl steady with their helper hand.
Challenge them to fish the buttons out through the small holes!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child during play. Small buttons and tweezers can be a choking hazard. Keep all materials away from the mouth.

The Index Card Step Climber

Steps:

Fold four index cards in half so they look like little tents or steps.
Use masking tape to stick the bottom of the tents to a table.
Line them up in a row so they look like a staircase.
Use a marker to draw a small target dot on each tent top.
Place a pile of colorful pom-poms at the bottom of the stairs.
Ask your child to pick up a pom-pom using their tweezers.
Challenge them to place the pom-pom on the first target dot.
Move the fuzzy ball up every step until it reaches the final dot!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child during play. Small pom-poms and tweezers can be a safety risk if used improperly. Keep materials away from the mouth.

The Tilted Button Slider

Steps:

Use your markers to draw a winding path on a flat piece of cardboard.
An adult should use scissors to cut a narrow slot along the entire path.
Ensure the slot is wide enough for a button to slide but not fall through.
Place a single large button on the board at the starting line.
Ask your child to hold the cardboard steady with their non-dominant helper hand.
Have them use their dominant index finger to slide the button along the track.

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child during play as buttons are a significant choking hazard.

The Taped Paper Roll Wind-Up

Girl wrapping blue yarn around a cardboard paper roll marked with marker dots

Steps:

Use your markers to draw a few small target dots along the paper roll.
Cut a long piece of yarn, about three feet in length.
Use a small piece of masking tape to stick one end of the yarn to the top of the paper roll.
Ask your child to hold the paper roll with their helper hand.
Have them use their other hand to slowly wrap the yarn around the roll.
Encourage them to cover each marker dot as they twist the roll.
Once the yarn is all wrapped, use another piece of tape to secure the end.

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child during play to ensure the yarn is used safely. Keep long strings away from the neck area.

The Ribbon Ring Squeeze

Steps:

Use markers to draw colorful stripes around your empty paper roll.
Cut several long strips of ribbon using your child-safe scissors.
Use masking tape to stick one end of a ribbon to the top of the roll.
Ask your child to hold the paper roll steady with their helper hand.
Have them use their other hand to wrap the ribbon tightly around the roll.
Once the ribbon is wrapped, use a pincer grasp to tape the end down.
Repeat this with different colors until the whole tube is fuzzy and bright!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child while they are using scissors. Ensure the ribbon pieces are not long enough to wrap around the neck.