Intrinsic Muscle Development - Page 11 of 18

Slot Stuff Hedgehog

Steps:

Adult Prep: Use scissors to cut 8 to 10 short, narrow slits across the surface of the paper roll. These are the spine holes.
Decorate the roll using markers to give your hedgehog a cute face and body.
Tear the construction paper into many long, thin strips. Tearing wakes up finger and hand muscles.
Pick up the paper roll with your helper hand to keep it steady on the table.
Stuff one end of a paper strip into a spine hole using your dominant hand fingers.
Use a craft stick to gently push the paper strip completely inside the narrow slot. This requires precise force.
Continue stuffing paper spines into all the slots until your hedgehog is fully covered in soft spikes!

Safety Tip:
Adults must perform the scissor cutting for the narrow slots. Supervise closely to ensure small pieces of torn paper are not put in the mouth.

Cotton Ball Rescue Clip

Steps:

Set up the activity by placing the empty egg carton on one side of the table and the bowl of cotton balls on the other.
Give the child one or two clothespins. Explain that the clothespin is a “rescue tool” used to pick up the cotton balls without using fingers.
Encourage the child to squeeze the clothespin open, grasp one cotton ball, and carefully transfer it into a cup of the egg carton. Try to fill every cup!

Safety Tip:
Ensure the child maintains good posture while sitting at the table. If they get frustrated with the resistance of the clothespins, try using larger, easier-to-squeeze kitchen tongs first before transitioning back to the smaller clothespins.

Cardboard Link Structures

Steps:

Use markers to draw several long strips (about 1 inch wide) onto a piece of firm cardboard. Draw a few simple shapes like squares or circles, too.
Encourage your child to use child-safe scissors to carefully cut along the marker lines. Cutting the thick cardboard requires a strong grasp and finger effort!
Adult Step: Take the cardboard strips and shapes. Cut 2-3 short, narrow slits (about 1/2 inch deep) into the edges of each piece. Ensure the slits are slightly wider than the cardboard thickness.
Challenge your child to connect the cardboard pieces by sliding the slits into each other. The goal is to build a tall, unique, free-standing structure by linking all the pieces.
Encourage your child to use one hand to hold the structure steady while the other hand works to push and maneuver the joining pieces into place.

Safety Tip:
Adult supervision is required during all cutting phases. For children under 5, ensure all small cardboard scraps are immediately collected and discarded, as they may pose a choking hazard.

Card Scroll Builders

Steps:

Place an Index Card flat on the table. Use your helper hand to stabilize the card firmly against the surface.
Use your working hand to place a pencil on the short edge of the card. Roll the card tightly around the pencil to create a firm scroll.
Once the card is fully rolled, carefully slide the pencil out while keeping the scroll tight. Place the finished scroll into the container.
Choose a small sticker. Use your precise pincer grasp (pinching fingers) to peel it off the backing.
Quickly wrap the sticker around the center of the scroll to keep it from unraveling. Challenge yourself to fill the container with colorful, tightly rolled scrolls!

Safety Tip:
Use large, age-appropriate stickers during this activity. Ensure close adult supervision to prevent the child from placing small stickers or paper pieces in the mouth.

Lid Lacing Challenge

Steps:

Secure a thin piece of foam sheet tightly over the lid of the plastic container using masking tape.
Use a marker to draw a pattern of small dots or a zigzag line across the foam sheet. These are your targets.
Give the child one golf tee. Challenge them to hold the tee using a neat pincer grasp (thumb and pointer finger).
Encourage the child to push the tee straight through each marked dot, creating a lacing hole in the foam and the lid. The other hand must stabilize the container.
Once all holes are punched, remove the tees. Thread a piece of yarn through the holes, lacing across the foam to complete the pattern.
When they finish, gently pull the yarn out. Try drawing a different pattern for the next round.

Safety Tip:
Golf tees have pointed ends. Close adult supervision is required during all steps to ensure the tees and yarn are not placed in the mouth, nose, or ears.