Skill: Fine Motor Control

Using the small muscles in the hands and wrists to make precise movements. This is the foundation for almost all school tasks, like drawing, writing, and using tools.

The Vertical Felt Leaf Clip

The Vertical Felt Leaf Clip

Steps:

  • Use markers to draw a thick, winding vine on a piece of cardboard.
  • Use your scissors to cut out the vine shape for your child.
  • Tape the vine shape vertically onto a wall at your child’s eye level.
  • Cut out several small leaf shapes from the colorful felt sheets.
  • Ask your child to use a pincer grasp to clip a leaf onto the vine.
  • Challenge them to reach across their body to place leaves on the opposite side.

Safety Tip:
Adult supervision is required while using scissors. Ensure the cardboard is taped firmly to prevent it from sliding.

Shiny Shape Impression Match

Shiny Shape Impression Match

Steps:

  • Tape a large sheet of aluminium foil onto a flat piece of cardboard.
  • Select five buttons with different shapes or textures from your collection.
  • Ask your child to press each button firmly into the foil to leave a mark.
  • Remove all the buttons and place them into a small basket.
  • Challenge your child to pick a button and match it back to its shiny foil home.
  • Encourage them to feel the foil marks with their fingertips before choosing.

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child during play. Small buttons are a choking hazard and should be kept away from the mouth.

The Ribbon Ring Squeeze

The Ribbon Ring Squeeze

Steps:

  • Use markers to draw colorful stripes around your empty paper roll.
  • Cut several long strips of ribbon using your child-safe scissors.
  • Use masking tape to stick one end of a ribbon to the top of the roll.
  • Ask your child to hold the paper roll steady with their helper hand.
  • Have them use their other hand to wrap the ribbon tightly around the roll.
  • Once the ribbon is wrapped, use a pincer grasp to tape the end down.
  • Repeat this with different colors until the whole tube is fuzzy and bright!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child while they are using scissors. Ensure the ribbon pieces are not long enough to wrap around the neck.

The Foam Garden Button Push

The Foam Garden Button Push

Steps:

  • Use a marker to draw a simple flower center on your foam sheet.
  • Ask an adult to cut four narrow slits around the flower center using scissors.
  • Place the foam sheet flat on the table.
  • Have your child hold the foam steady with their helper hand.
  • Give them a pile of colorful, large buttons to use as petals.
  • Ask them to use their pinching fingers to push a button halfway into a slit.
  • Repeat until the flower has a full circle of colorful button petals!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child during play. Small buttons can be a choking hazard. Ensure the buttons are large enough and kept away from the mouth.

Shimmering Foil Scale Match

Shimmering Foil Scale Match

Steps:

  • Draw a large fish shape on your piece of cardboard using a marker.
  • Help your child cut out the fish shape with the scissors.
  • Draw several colorful dots on the fish body to look like scale spots.
  • Give your child a sheet of aluminium foil to hold with both hands.
  • Ask them to tear off small squares of foil to make scales.
  • Squeeze a dot of glue onto each colorful spot on the fish.
  • Use pinching fingers to press a foil scale onto every glue dot.

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child while they are using scissors. Ensure the edges of the foil are pressed down flat to prevent any tiny scratches.