Forearm Supination

Tight Coil Tunnel Twist

Steps:

Adult Prep: Cut an index card in half. Cover one half completely with aluminum foil, crimping the edges tightly underneath. Secure this foiled card flat onto a sturdy piece of cardboard using masking tape.
Use a marker tip or pen to poke 5-6 small starter holes into the foil surface. These holes should be slightly smaller than the pipe cleaners.
Encourage your child to twist the pipe cleaners tightly around their finger or a pencil to create small, dense, stiff coils. This builds hand strength!
Ask your child to hold the stable cardboard base firmly steady with their helper hand (proximal stability).
Pick up one finished coil with a strong pincer grasp (thumb and pointer finger). Aim the coil at a starter hole.
Use a strong, continuous twisting motion (like screwing in a lightbulb) to turn the coil. Screw the stiff coil into and through the resistant foil and cardboard base until it is fully embedded. Repeat until all holes are filled.

Safety Tip:
Constant and direct adult supervision is required. Pipe cleaners are small materials and, especially when cut or tightly coiled, pose a choking hazard for children who still place objects in their mouths. Collect all pieces immediately after play.

Foil Cap Tweezer Feed

Steps:

Tear the aluminum foil into small, manageable strips using both hands.
Use your fingertips to tightly crumple each strip into a dense ‘rock.’ Place these rocks in the container.
Hold the bottle firmly steady with your helper hand. Use your dominant hand to twist the cap off completely.
Pick up the tweezers. Use a precise pincer grasp to grab one tiny foil rock.
Carefully carry and drop the foil rock into the narrow bottle opening.
Twist the cap firmly back onto the bottle. Repeat the whole sequence until the bottle is full.

Safety Tip:
Constant and direct adult supervision is required. Ensure children compress the foil tightly to avoid sharp edges. Collect all small foil pieces and tweezers immediately after play, as they pose a potential choking hazard.

Card Link Twister

Steps:

Use the marker to number 8 index cards sequentially from 1 through 8. This creates your chain links.
Use the hole puncher to create two holes at the top edge of each numbered card link.
Hold Card #1 steady with your helper hand. Push one bolt through each of the two punched holes.
Use your working hand to twist a nut firmly onto the end of each bolt. Practice using quick finger movements.
Now, take Card #2. Thread the exposed bolts from Card #1 through the holes in Card #2.
Twist two new nuts onto the exposed bolts to link the two cards securely together.
Continue this process, linking the numbered cards in order until you have created a long, flexible, and colorful chain.

Safety Tip:
Nuts and bolts are very small pieces. Ensure all materials are kept away from the mouth and supervised closely during assembly to prevent choking hazards.

Weighted Reel Rescue

Steps:

Adult Prep: Secure the plastic container firmly onto the center of the cardboard base using masking tape. This makes a stable reel base. Tape one craft stick across the container opening, creating a spinning reel handle. Tie the yarn to the handle and attach the bean bag to the loose end.
Place the cardboard base on the floor. Unwind the yarn completely, setting the bean bag target a few feet away. Hold the container base firmly with your helper hand to keep it from sliding.
Use your working hand to grip the reel handle. Begin twisting the stick repeatedly (forearm rotation) to slowly reel the yarn back in. Keep reeling until the heavy bean bag reaches the container. Repeat the reeling and unwinding.

Safety Tip:
Constant and direct adult supervision is required. Ensure the cardboard base is firmly anchored so it does not tip or slide when the child applies rotational force. Monitor the child’s body position to ensure they sit or kneel stably while working.

Resistant Frame Weave

Steps:

Adult Prep: Cut a sturdy square from the cardboard. Use the masking tape to wrap a dense, continuous layer around the entire perimeter of the square, sticky side OUT. Press the sticky tape firmly onto the cardboard base.
Place the cardboard frame on a stable table. Encourage your child to bend and straighten the pipe cleaners until they are stiff sticks.
Ask your child to hold the cardboard frame firmly steady with their helper hand to stabilize the base.
Using the working hand, aim the pipe cleaner tip at the narrow, sticky frame edge. Use a strong push and a twisting motion to thread the pipe cleaner all the way through the sticky tape layer.
Continue this pushing and weaving action until the entire sticky frame is filled with colorful, rigid pipe cleaners.

Safety Tip:
Constant and direct adult supervision is required. Pipe cleaners are small materials and pose a choking hazard for children who still place objects in their mouths. Adults must handle the scissors during preparation.