Distal Finger Control - Page 24 of 27

Fuzzy Stick Twister

Steps:

Use a marker to draw a simple shape or a target zone (like a thick stripe) on the center of one craft stick.
Place the craft stick flat on the table. Ask your child to hold the stick very steady with their non-dominant hand.
Encourage the child to take one pipe cleaner and use their dominant hand fingers to tightly twist the fuzzy stick around the craft stick. The goal is to cover the marked zone completely.
Challenge them to keep the wraps tight and neat. Once finished, they can unwrap the pipe cleaner for another round, practicing the reverse movement.

Safety Tip:
Adult supervision is required during this activity. Ensure the pipe cleaner ends are curled slightly before use, as cut wire can be sharp. Monitor closely to prevent the child from placing the materials in their mouth, as small pieces pose a choking hazard.

Sensory Squeeze Lines

Steps:

Mix Tempera Paint and a tablespoon of dry Rice in a bowl. Use a Spoon to stir until it is a thick, chunky paste that offers some resistance.
Scoop the paint mixture into the bottom corner of a Ziplock Bag. Squeeze all the excess air out and seal the top of the bag tightly.
Place the Construction Paper onto the Cardboard for a firm surface. Use scissors to snip a tiny corner off the Ziplock Bag (this creates the nozzle).
Have your child use their non-dominant hand to hold the top of the bag steady. This provides proximal stability for the working hand.
Encourage them to use their dominant hand to squeeze the bag firmly, pushing the paint out. Challenge them to control the squeeze to make textured lines and shapes.

Safety Tip:
Use non-toxic tempera paint and supervise closely. Due to the small size of the rice grains and the snipped Ziplock bag pieces, constant adult supervision is necessary to prevent choking or ingestion.

Stick Target Launch

Steps:

Set up the launcher: Use masking tape to secure one end of a craft stick firmly onto the top edge of a small box. Leave the majority of the stick sticking out like a lever.
Create the target zone by using masking tape to mark a square or circle on the construction paper. Place the paper a short distance from the launch box.
Load the launcher by placing a pom-pom near the free end of the craft stick. Use a precise pincer grasp to place it gently.
Ask your child to hold the box steady with their non-dominant (helper) hand to provide stability for the launch.
Challenge them to use their dominant hand’s index finger to flick the end of the craft stick, aiming to launch the pom-pom onto the target.

Safety Tip:
Always supervise this activity closely. Pom-poms are small and pose a choking hazard for children who still place objects in their mouths. Ensure all small pieces are collected after play.

Foil Drip Maze

Steps:

Prepare the maze surface: Cover a flat piece of cardboard entirely with aluminum foil, crimping the edges up slightly to create a sturdy, shallow tray (this is your waterproof maze board).
Use markers to draw a simple maze or a winding path on the foil surface. Draw a start circle and a finish circle for the water drop to travel between.
Mix a small amount of water with food coloring in a container. Demonstrate how to load the eyedropper by squeezing the bulb using a neat pincer grasp (thumb and index finger) and drawing up the colored water.
Challenge your child to hold the eyedropper over the start circle and release a single drop. Then, they must carefully angle the tray (bilateral hands) and/or use the eyedropper to push the drop along the marker-drawn path to the finish line, practicing fine control and precision.

Safety Tip:
Ensure close supervision as small objects (like eyedropper parts) and colored water are used. Always supervise to prevent ingestion of materials.

Stick Flag Thread

Steps:

Use markers to color the craft sticks in three different colors (e.g., red, blue, green).
An adult should cut the paper roll into 3-inch sections. Use a hole puncher to create 6 to 8 holes randomly around each section.
Help your child take index cards and draw a matching colored dot on each one. Cut a small slit into the center of each card (these are your flags).
Challenge your child to hold the paper roll steady with their helper hand. They use their other hand to thread a colored stick straight through one of the holes.
Once the stick is threaded, they must find the matching colored index card flag. Ask them to slide the flag onto the exposed end of the stick.
Continue threading sticks and matching flags until the entire paper roll is covered in colorful flags!

Safety Tip:
Adults must handle the scissors and hole puncher during preparation. Supervise the activity to ensure the child does not put the craft sticks near their eyes or mouth.