Eye-Hand Coordination - Page 12 of 34

Felt Resistance Wall

Steps:

Adult Prep: Cut a sturdy rectangle from the cardboard. Cut 5 to 6 narrow strips of felt, about 1 inch wide.
Help your child glue the felt strips vertically onto the cardboard. Leave a very narrow gap between each felt strip to create resistant channels.
Once the glue is completely dry, have your child hold the cardboard firmly with their helper hand to keep the wall steady.
Challenge your child to pick up a craft stick. Push the stick straight through one of the narrow felt channels. This requires controlled force.
Continue inserting all the sticks into the wall, working to keep the cardboard from tipping or moving during the push.
When finished, gently pull the sticks out (working those muscles again!) and repeat the building process.

Safety Tip:
Maintain constant adult supervision, especially during the preparation phase involving scissors and glue. Ensure the child pushes the sticks away from their face and body to prevent accidental poking.

Kernel Mosaic Cup

Steps:

Decorate the outside of the paper cup with markers. Keep the design simple, like stripes or dots.
Pour a small amount of liquid glue or paste onto a piece of construction paper to create a gluing palette.
Use your helper hand to hold the cup steady. Dip your marker-drawn cup directly into the glue palette, covering a small section with adhesive.
Pick up one dry corn kernel at a time using only your thumb and pointer finger (pincer grasp).
Carefully place and press the kernel onto the glued section of the cup. Try to place the kernels close together like a mosaic.
Repeat steps 3 through 5 until the whole cup is covered in texture. Let your kernel mosaic dry completely!

Safety Tip:
Dry corn kernels are a small, hard choking hazard. Constant and direct adult supervision is mandatory for children under 5. Ensure all materials are collected immediately after play.

Stick Bridge Clip

Steps:

Prep the “bridge” by using masking tape to secure 5 to 7 craft sticks in a row onto the underside of a sturdy, stable table (or a sturdy chair seat).
Place the pile of clothespins within easy reach on the floor beneath the table.
Challenge your child to lie on their back on the floor, directly under the table, facing the craft sticks. This is the starting position.
Encourage your child to reach up and squeeze open one clothespin at a time. They must aim carefully to clip the pin onto the ‘bridge’ (the craft stick).
Continue until every stick is covered in colorful clothespins. To repeat, they can clip them all off and start again!

Safety Tip:
Maintain constant adult supervision. Clothespins are small objects and pose a potential choking hazard for children who might still place items in their mouths. Ensure the table used is stable and cannot tip over during the activity.

Precision Glue Constellations

Steps:

Draw a constellation map on the construction paper. Use a marker to draw 8-10 dots (stars) and number them sequentially.
Glue the map to the cardboard base to keep it stable. Place the sequins in a small, shallow container.
Hold the glue bottle like a pencil. Starting at dot number one, squeeze the glue bottle with controlled force to draw a neat line to dot number two.
Continue connecting all the numbered dots with a thin line of glue, working on steady pressure to keep the line smooth.
Immediately sprinkle the sequins over the wet glue lines, covering the entire constellation path. Shake off the excess and admire your starry art!

Safety Tip:
Glue and sequins are non-toxic but require supervision. Ensure the child washes hands immediately after play and does not put sequins near the face or mouth.

Plate Spin Targets

Steps:

Use markers to draw 4-6 small, bright dots (targets) randomly across the surface of the paper plate.
Flip the plate over. Use masking tape to secure a craft stick firmly to the center back as a spin handle.
Have your child place the plate on the table. They use one hand to grasp the craft stick handle.
Challenge your child to spin the plate quickly using their hand (practicing forearm rotation).
While the plate is spinning, they must try to quickly tap the center of a colored dot using the pointer finger of their other hand.
Try switching hands! Use the non-dominant hand to spin and the dominant hand to tap the moving targets.

Safety Tip:
Ensure the plate and handle are securely fastened. Supervise closely to ensure the child keeps their fingers clear of the spinning parts to avoid minor scrapes.