Distal Finger Control - Page 15 of 21

Pom-Pom Skyscraper

Steps:

Set up the building zone by placing the Styrofoam block on the table and putting the bowl of toothpicks and pom-poms beside it.
Encourage your child to use their dominant hand to push the sharp end of the toothpicks straight down into the Styrofoam, creating tall ‘towers’ in a pattern or design. Remind them to use their helper hand to stabilize and hold the foam block steady.
Once the ‘skyscrapers’ are built, challenge the child to use a neat pincer grasp (thumb and index finger) to carefully place one pom-pom onto the top of each exposed toothpick tip, trying to balance it gently.

Safety Tip:
Due to the sharp nature of toothpicks, this activity requires direct adult supervision. Ensure the child understands the toothpicks are only for building and must never be put near the face or mouth.

Web Lacing Rescue

Steps:

Adult Prep: Lay strips of masking tape sticky-side up across the cardboard edge, securing the ends underneath to make a sticky “loom.”
Leave about one inch of space between each sticky tape strip.
Cut a piece of yarn about 18 inches long. Tape one end of the yarn securely to the end of a craft stick to create your ‘needle.’
Hold the cardboard loom steady with your helper hand. Use your dominant hand to weave the craft stick and yarn “needle” under the first tape strip.
Next, challenge yourself to weave the yarn *over* the second tape strip, then under the third, creating a woven pattern across the sticky web.
Continue weaving across the web. When finished, carefully peel the woven yarn and tape off the cardboard to reveal your colorful woven mat!

Safety Tip:
Ensure the craft stick has no sharp edges before taping the yarn on. Closely supervise the child to ensure they do not pull the masking tape off the surface and place it in their mouth.

Tissue Tear Treasures

Steps:

Help your child draw a large, simple shape (like a star, a big letter, or a cloud) onto the construction paper. This will be the canvas for the ‘treasure’ art.
Present the tissue paper. Encourage your child to use both hands to tear the tissue paper into small strips or pieces. Focus on using the thumb and index finger to initiate the tear.
Show the child how to crumple those small pieces into tiny, tight balls (treasures!). This step heavily promotes strong intrinsic muscles and a precise pincer grasp.
Apply glue along the lines of the drawn shape. Encourage the child to pick up the crumpled tissue balls and press them onto the glue, filling in the shape until the ‘treasure’ collage is complete.

Safety Tip:
Supervise closely during this activity. Ensure the child uses glue appropriately (dot, not a large glob). Because this activity involves very small pieces of paper, teach the child to keep them on the table, not near the mouth.

Sticky Straw Scoop

Steps:

Prepare the ‘scoop’ by taking a straw and securing a small loop of masking tape (sticky side facing out) onto one end.
Place a pile of pom-poms on the table and the empty Container next to the Construction Paper target.
Show the child how to hold the straw using their thumb and index finger (a strong pincer grasp), just like holding a miniature pencil.
Challenge the child to carefully touch the sticky straw tip to a pom-pom, lifting it when it sticks firmly.
The child then transfers the sticky pom-pom over the container and uses their non-dominant hand or fingertips to peel it off the straw and drop it in.
Continue this process until all the pom-poms are successfully moved from the starting pile into the container.

Safety Tip:
Always provide close adult supervision during this activity. Ensure the child understands that the small pom-poms and tape are not to be put in the mouth.

Tee Punch Garden

Steps:

Set up the ‘garden’ by placing one thick foam sheet on a stable table or floor. If your foam is thin, layer two sheets for more resistance.
Introduce the golf tees as ‘planting tools.’ Show your child how to hold the tee using their thumb and pointer finger (pincer grip), similar to how they will hold a pencil.
Encourage your child to use their non-dominant (helper) hand to press down on and stabilize the foam sheet while their dominant hand pushes the tee straight down, punching a hole.
Continue punching holes until the foam sheet is full! This provides excellent resistance that strengthens the small muscles in the hand.
Finish the activity by using the pipe cleaners as ‘stems.’ Thread them into the punched holes to create a colorful, textured garden.
If desired, gently pull the tees out and repeat the whole process again to get extra strengthening practice.

Safety Tip:
Golf tees have a pointed end. Always supervise closely to ensure the child is pushing the tee into the foam and not near their face or body. Store the tees safely when not in use.