Distal Finger Control - Page 2 of 26

Secret Cardboard Window Latches

Steps:

Decorate three index cards using your bright markers.
Draw a small treasure or a smiley face on a cardboard sheet.
Place a colorful sticker in the center of your drawing for a surprise.
Use masking tape to attach one edge of an index card over your drawing.
This creates a small door that can open and close.
Squeeze a paper clip open slightly using your thumb and index finger.
Slide the paper clip over the edge of the card door and the cardboard.
Challenge your child to slide the latch off to find the treasure!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child during play to ensure paper clips are used safely and kept away from the mouth.

The Felt Fish Hook Rescue

Steps:

Use your markers to draw 5 small fish shapes on your felt.
Carefully cut out the felt fish using your scissors.
Cut 5 tiny strips of cardboard, about 1 inch long each.
Glue the ends of a cardboard strip to a fish to make a small loop.
Repeat this for all 5 fish and place them inside your basket.
Take a pipe cleaner and twist one end into a small, sturdy hook.
Wrap the other end of the pipe cleaner around your child’s index finger.
Challenge your child to hold the basket steady with one hand.
Use the finger hook to snag a fish loop and lift it out!

Safety Tip:
Pipe cleaners have wire ends. Ensure the ends are curled inward or covered with tape to prevent scratches.

The Foil Pan Bead Toss

Steps:

Place the aluminium foil pan on a flat table or a waterproof surface.
Fill the pan about halfway with cool water to create a shallow pond.
Ask your child to stand a few steps away from the pan.
Give them a handful of colorful beads to hold in one hand.
Challenge them to toss the beads one by one into the water pan.
Once all the beads are in the water, give your child a spoon.
Ask them to use their dominant hand to scoop up one bead at a time.
Have them carefully carry the bead on the spoon to a nearby bowl.
Try to see how fast they can rescue all the beads from the pond!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child during water play to prevent any accidents. Beads are a significant choking hazard, so keep them away from children who still put objects in their mouth.

The Foil Pan Color Pond

Steps:

Fill three paper cups halfway with cool water and add two drops of different food coloring to each.
Place the empty aluminium foil pan onto a flat table or a waterproof surface.
Ask your child to hold the eyedropper using their thumb and pointer finger.
Challenge them to suck up the colored water from a cup and carefully move it over to the pan.
Have your child use their other hand to hold the edge of the pan to keep it still.
Encourage them to release small drops into the pan to create colorful patterns or ‘ponds.’
Try to mix colors together in the pan to see what new colors appear!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child during water play. Ensure that food coloring is handled carefully to prevent staining of clothes or household surfaces.

The Cardboard Ring Squeezer

Steps:

Use markers to draw three big circles on a piece of construction paper.
Color each circle a different color using your markers.
Take an empty paper roll and use your scissors to cut it into four rings.
Place a pile of colorful pom-poms on the table.
Show your child how to hold one cardboard ring between their thumb and fingers.
Squeeze the ring to make it flat like a pair of tweezers.
Use the flattened ring to pinch a pom-pom.
Carry the pom-pom and drop it into the matching colored circle on the paper.
See how fast you can sort all the fuzzy pom-poms!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child while they use scissors. Small pom-poms can be a choking hazard, so keep them away from younger siblings.