Grasp - Page 11 of 33

Foam Spike Pom-Pom Insert

Steps:

Secure the foam sheet firmly onto a piece of construction paper using masking tape. This stabilizes the work surface.
Use a marker to draw 10 to 15 short, straight lines (these are your ‘spike’ targets) randomly across the foam sheet’s surface.
Challenge your child to hold the foam steady with their helper hand. Use child-safe scissors to snip along each drawn marker line. Squeezing through the resistant foam requires strong effort!
Pick up one pom-pom using a precise pincer grasp (thumb and pointer finger).
Carefully aim the soft pom-pom at one of the newly snipped slits. Use controlled force to push the pom-pom halfway into the slit, turning the foam into a colorful, spiky cushion.
Repeat this inserting action until the entire foam surface is covered in pom-pom ‘spikes’.

Safety Tip:
Constant and direct adult supervision is required when using scissors. Ensure that the child uses the scissors only for cutting the foam. Small pom-poms are used in this activity and pose a potential choking hazard for young children. Collect all small materials 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.

Tension Track Push

Steps:

Twist three pipe cleaners together tightly to create 4-5 thick, stiff ‘resistance bands.’
Stretch and secure these bands tightly across the sturdy cardboard base using masking tape underneath.
The bands should be spaced out to create narrow tracks for the beans.
Place the beans and craft sticks in the container. Ask the child to hold the cardboard steady with their helper hand.
Pick up one bean using a neat pincer grasp. Load it onto the tip of the craft stick.
Aim the loaded stick at the cardboard track between two tight bands.
Use a strong, controlled push to slide the bean under the taut pipe cleaner band.
Continue pushing the bean along the track until it reaches the end. Repeat until all tracks are filled with beans.

Safety Tip:
Constant and direct adult supervision is required. Beans, pipe cleaners, and small cardboard pieces are small objects and pose a significant choking hazard for children who still place objects in their mouths. Ensure materials are used only as intended.

Vertical Tear & Crumple Press

Steps:

Secure the cardboard piece vertically onto a stable wall or door using masking tape.
Use long strips of masking tape, sticky side OUT, to create a large shape (like a circle or square) onto the cardboard surface.
Give your toddler strips of construction paper. Encourage them to use both hands to tear the paper into small, rough pieces.
Challenge your child to crumple each torn piece tightly into a small, dense ball using only their fingertips.
Hold the cardboard steady with the helper hand. Pick up one dense paper ball using a pincer grasp.
Use a strong, controlled push to firmly press the paper ball onto the vertical sticky tape shape. Repeat until the shape is covered.

Safety Tip:
Constant and direct adult supervision is required. Torn paper pieces are a choking hazard for children under three. Ensure your child remains standing or sitting stably and does not attempt to put materials in their mouth.

Wet Sponge Weight Weave

Steps:

Fill the container with water and soak the sponge fully. Wring it out hard so it is damp and dense, then press it firmly back into the container base.
Adult Prep: Tie one bead securely onto the end of a 12-inch piece of yarn. Tie the opposite end of the yarn onto the middle of one craft stick.
Challenge your child to hold the container firmly steady with their helper hand to stabilize the base on the table.
Using the working hand, aim the craft stick tip at the sponge. Use a strong, controlled push to drive the stick and the attached yarn/bead completely through the resistant sponge.
Pull the stick back out, feeling the resistance and drag of the yarn as it comes through the wet sponge. Repeat this push and pull action until your child tires.

Safety Tip:
Beads and yarn are small materials. Constant, direct adult supervision is required to ensure these items are not ingested, as they pose a choking hazard.