Grasp - Page 6 of 24

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.

Cardboard Tee Lacing

Steps:

Use markers to draw several dots onto the piece of cardboard. These dots are your targets.
Place the cardboard flat on a stable table. Challenge your child to hold the cardboard firmly with their helper hand to keep it steady.
Pick up a golf tee. Use a strong, controlled push to insert the tee straight through the cardboard at one of the marked dots. Feel the resistance!
Remove all the golf tees, leaving behind a set of neat, small holes across the surface.
Challenge your child to thread the pipe cleaners through the new holes. They must weave the fuzzy sticks in and out to create a colorful lacing pattern.

Safety Tip:
Constant and direct adult supervision is required. Golf ball tees and small pieces of pipe cleaner pose choking hazards for children under five. Ensure materials are used only as intended and collected immediately after play.

Sponge Weight Release

Steps:

Place a large empty bucket on one side of the room. Place a lightweight stuffed animal target inside.
Fill a separate container halfway with water. Soak the sponge until it is heavy and saturated.
Encourage your child to pick up the wet sponge using a strong, whole-hand grasp.
Have them carry the heavy sponge over to the empty bucket/target zone. They must maintain stability while transporting the weight.
Once positioned over the target, challenge your child to squeeze the sponge as hard as they can. They must release all the water into the target bucket.
Repeat the process of soaking, carrying, and squeezing until the target stuffed animal is soaking wet or the child tires.

Safety Tip:
Constant and direct adult supervision is required. This activity involves water. Ensure the playing area is non-slip to prevent falls, especially during carrying motions. Ensure the child only uses the sponge and water as intended.

Foil Sticker Peel

Steps:

Tear off a sheet of aluminum foil. Lay it flat on the table and smooth out the wrinkles.
Use markers to draw 10 to 12 small circles randomly across the foil surface. These are your sticker targets.
Place a few small stickers (dot stickers work best) onto the plastic container lid. Press them down firmly so they are hard to peel.
Ask your child to hold the container steady with their helper hand. Use the tweezers to grasp the edge of a sticky sticker.
Peel the sticker off the container lid against the resistance. This requires controlled, strong force.
Carefully carry the sticker over the foil and use the tweezers to press the sticker onto a marker circle. Repeat until all stickers are placed.

Safety Tip:
Due to the small size of the stickers and tweezers, constant and direct adult supervision is required. These materials are choking hazards for children who still place objects in their mouths.

Sponge Stick Rotation

Steps:

Fill the bowl with water. Soak the sponge completely. Ask your child to wring the sponge out tightly, making it damp and dense.
Place the damp, dense sponge firmly inside the plastic container to keep it stable on the table.
Hold the container steady with your helper hand. Pick up one craft stick using a comfortable grasp with your working hand.
Aim the flat end of the stick at the sponge. Use a strong, twisting motion to screw the stick halfway into the resistant sponge.
Continue twisting all the craft sticks into the sponge until the surface looks like a prickly cushion.
Challenge your child to reverse the movement: use a strong twist and pull to remove the sticks one by one. Try switching hands for stabilization.

Safety Tip:
Constant adult supervision is required. Ensure the child remains seated while working and only uses the craft sticks for the intended twisting action.