Eye-Hand Coordination - Page 47 of 73

Sticky Sludge Squeeze

Steps:

Mix about half a cup of oats with a small amount of water in the plastic container. Stir until you have a thick, resistant, soupy mixture (the ‘sludge’).
Secure the construction paper vertically onto a wall or door using masking tape. This is your target canvas.
Tear off several small pieces of masking tape. Place them on the paper, sticky side facing OUT, to create a simple shape or path.
Hold the eyedropper using your thumb and pointer finger. Squeeze the bulb hard to draw up the resistant oat sludge.
Stabilize the paper with your helper hand. Aim the dropper at the sticky tape targets.
Squeeze the dropper forcefully to release the thick sludge onto the sticky tape. Continue this until all the sticky spots are covered.

Safety Tip:
Constant and direct adult supervision is required. Ensure the child only uses the mixture and eyedropper as intended. Oats pose a potential choking hazard if ingested.

Foam Slot Tongs

Steps:

Adult Prep: Use markers to draw one narrow, horizontal slit (about 2 inches long) onto the container lid. Carefully cut the slit using scissors. Secure the lid shut with masking tape.
Use scissors to cut the foam sheets into many small, 1-inch squares. Drop the cut squares into the small container.
Place the target container flat on the table. Encourage your child to hold the container firmly with their helper hand to stabilize it.
Pick up the tongs. Use the tongs to grab one foam square using a strong pincer grip.
Carefully aim the foam piece toward the narrow slot. Push the foam piece completely through the slot and drop it inside the container.
Continue transferring all the foam pieces into the slot until the small container is empty.

Safety Tip:
Since this activity involves small foam pieces and the use of scissors during preparation, constant, direct adult supervision is required. Small pieces of foam are a choking hazard for children under five.

Felt Tunnel Push

Steps:

Adult Prep: Cut a strip of felt. Glue it tightly around a short paper roll. Secure the roll standing vertically onto the cardboard base.
Place a pom-pom just inside the top opening of the felt tunnel. Hold the cardboard base steady with your helper hand.
Pick up a craft stick. Aim the stick straight down at the pom-pom.
Use a strong, controlled push to drive the stick down. Force the pom-pom all the way through the resistant felt tunnel.
The pom-pom should pop out the bottom onto the table. Repeat this process until all the pom-poms are pushed through.

Safety Tip:
Constant and direct adult supervision is required. Pom-poms are small objects and pose a choking hazard for young children. Adults should handle the scissors during preparation.

Foil Moat Precision Drop

Steps:

Place the aluminum foil pan on the table. Use the playdough to create thick walls or ‘dams’ inside the pan, leaving narrow paths or ‘moats’ between them.
Mix a small amount of water with a drop of food coloring in the container to make your ‘magic potion.’
Show your child how to hold the eyedropper using their thumb and pointer finger (a strong pincer grasp).
Challenge your child to squeeze the eyedropper bulb to suck up the colored water.
Now, carefully aim the dropper over a moat. Encourage them to squeeze gently to release the water into the narrow path without letting it flood the playdough dam.
Repeat this process until all the moats are filled with colorful water. Encourage them to hold the foil pan steady with their helper hand while they work.

Safety Tip:
Constant and direct adult supervision is required. Playdough is a choking hazard if ingested. Ensure the child only uses the eyedropper for the intended purpose and does not consume the colored water.

Cardboard Confetti Collage

Steps:

Use masking tape to secure the large piece of cardboard firmly onto the table. This acts as your stable canvas.
Give your child a stack of index cards. Encourage them to use the hole puncher to make many small circles (confetti). Squeezing the puncher requires strength!
Challenge your child to tear the remaining index cards into tiny, jagged pieces using both hands together.
Now, use only the fingertips to crumple and squeeze the punched circles and torn pieces into tight, dense confetti balls.
Draw a simple shape (like a circle or heart) onto the cardboard using glue from the bottle. Use controlled squeezing.
Use a careful pincer grasp to pick up the sequins and crumpled confetti. Press them onto the wet glue to create a colorful, textured collage.

Safety Tip:
Constant and direct adult supervision is required. Sequins and crumpled paper pieces are small objects and pose a choking hazard for children under five. Ensure all materials are used only as intended and collected immediately after play.