Fine Motor Control

The Ribbon-Linked Clip Path

Steps:

Use your markers to draw six colorful circles around the edge of a paper plate.
Assign a number from one to six inside each circle.
An adult should cut a long piece of ribbon about two feet long.
Ask your child to hold the paper plate steady with their helper hand.
Use the other hand to clip a clothespin onto circle number one.
Have your child thread the ribbon through the metal spring of the clothespin.
Move to circle number two and clip on the next clothespin.
Continue threading the ribbon through each clip in numerical order until the path is complete!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child while they are using scissors or small ribbons. Ensure the ribbon is not wrapped around fingers or the neck.

Foil Tray Button Slide

Steps:

Place a sheet of aluminum foil inside the bottom of your foil pan to create a shiny, flat floor.
Use a bright marker to draw a winding, curvy road that goes from the left side to the right side of the pan.
Place a single large button at the start of the path on the left side.
Ask your child to hold the side of the pan with their left hand to keep it still.
Have them use the index finger of their right hand to slowly slide the button along the marker line.
Encourage them to reach all the way across the pan without letting go of the button.
Repeat the game using the other hand to help both sides of the body get a workout!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child during play as buttons are a significant choking hazard. Ensure the edges of the foil are pressed flat against the pan to avoid any sharp points.

The Spaghetti Baking Cup Forest

Steps:

Press a large lump of playdough onto the paper plate.
Flatten it with your hand to make a base.
Push five dry spaghetti sticks into the dough.
Carefully poke a hole in the bottom of a baking cup.
Slide the cup upside down onto a spaghetti stick.
Repeat this until all your trees have tops.
Use your pinching fingers to glue a button on top.

Safety Tip:
Spaghetti can be brittle and sharp. Buttons are a choking hazard. Always supervise your child during play.

The Sticker Puppet Rescue

Steps:

Use markers to draw a silly face on a paper bag.
Cover the bag with colorful stickers of all sizes.
Have your child put the bag on their helper hand.
This hand is now the sticker puppet!
Ask the child to use their other hand to peel the stickers.
Tell them to move the puppet’s mouth while they clean it.
Repeat until the puppet is ready for its next show!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child while they are playing with stickers. Small stickers can be a choking hazard. Ensure the child does not put them in their mouth.

The Under-Table Tissue Galaxy

Steps:

Tape a large piece of cardboard to the bottom of a stable surface at home.
Place loops of masking tape across the cardboard with the sticky side facing the floor.
Give your child several colorful squares of tissue paper to hold.
Ask them to lie down on their back under the cardboard.
Show them how to use their fingertips to crumple a paper square into a tight ball.
Challenge them to reach up and press the ball onto the sticky tape.
Keep adding more colors until the whole overhead board is a bright galaxy!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child while they are lying under furniture. Ensure the cardboard is taped securely so it does not fall. Keep all small paper balls away from the mouth to prevent choking.