Hand Dexterity - Page 5 of 21

The Blooming Paper Water Lily

Steps:

Fill your aluminium foil pan with one inch of water.
Draw a flower with several pointed petals on the construction paper.
Use your scissors to cut out the flower shape.
Fold each petal toward the center until the flower is closed.
Use a marker to draw a small heart in the center.
Place the folded flower gently onto the surface of the water.
Watch as the petals slowly open to reveal the secret heart!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child during water play to ensure they stay safe and the floor stays dry.

The Growing Newspaper Tree

Steps:

Take two large sheets of newspaper and lay them flat on the floor.
Overlap the edges slightly and use a piece of masking tape to hold them together.
Start at one end and roll the newspaper up into a very long, tight tube.
Wrap another piece of tape around the bottom of the tube to keep it from unrolling.
Hold the tube steady with one hand and use your scissors to cut four long slits from the top down to the middle.
Reach into the center of the tube and gently pull the paper upward.
Watch as your tree grows taller and taller as you pull the strips out!
Use your hands to fluff out the paper branches to finish your tree.

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child while they are using scissors to keep them safe.

Tension Track Ball Glide

Steps:

Cut a large rectangle of cardboard for your base.
Use markers and a ruler to draw a straight road down the center.
Cut a smaller cardboard square to serve as your delivery cart.
Use the tip of your scissors to poke two small holes on opposite sides of the cart.
Thread a long piece of string through both holes so the cart can slide.
Use masking tape to secure the four ends of the strings to the base corners.
Balance a ping pong ball on top of the small cart.
Pull the strings outward to glide the cart safely to the finish line!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child when using scissors. Ensure the string is stored away after play to prevent any risk.

The Cardboard Box Pinball Goal

Steps:

Open the shoe box and remove the lid to create your play arena.
Cut small strips of cardboard from the lid to make bumpers.
Tape the bumpers inside the box at different angles using masking tape.
Cut a paper straw into three pieces and tape them down as obstacles.
Use your markers to draw point values like 10 or 50 on the bumpers.
Hold the box with both hands and place the ping pong ball inside.
Tilt the box slowly to roll the ball and hit every bumper target!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child while they are using scissors. Ensure the box edges are smooth to prevent any small scratches during play.

The Button Logic Grid

Steps:

Use a marker to draw a three-by-three grid on the cardboard.
Collect nine buttons in three different colors from your container.
You will need three red, three blue, and three yellow ones.
Explain that each color only goes once in every row.
Each color also only goes once in every column.
Place one button in a corner to start the game.
Ask your child to place the rest of the buttons.
Encourage them to check their work for any double colors.
Check the final work together to see if it is correct!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child during play. Buttons are a choking hazard for younger siblings.