Skill: Intrinsic Muscle Development

Strengthening the tiny muscles located deep inside the hand. These small muscles are vital for cupping the palm to hold water, making precise finger movements, and holding a pencil with good control.

Corner Fold & Weave Push

Steps:

  • Give your child a piece of cardboard. Encourage them to use both hands to tear the cardboard into rough, postage stamp-sized pieces.
  • Take one torn cardboard piece. Fold a corner tightly in half, then fold it over one more time to create a dense, narrow point.
  • Place the finished folded pieces in the plastic container. These are your weaving targets.
  • Take a pipe cleaner and curl one end into a loop to create a dull ‘needle.’
  • Hold the folded cardboard piece firmly steady with your helper hand.
  • Use your dominant hand to grip the pipe cleaner needle with a strong pincer grasp. Push the needle straight through the tight folded point of the cardboard.
  • Repeat this process, pushing the pipe cleaner through each resistant cardboard fold.

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. Ensure any cut ends of the pipe cleaners are curled safely before starting the activity.

Tight Coil Ribbon Weave

Tight Coil Ribbon Weave

Steps:

  • Adult Prep: Use masking tape to secure the cardboard firmly onto a stable table. Cut pipe cleaners into 4-inch sections if needed.
  • Encourage your child to wrap one pipe cleaner tightly around a pencil. Slide the pencil out to create a small, dense coil. Repeat this action to create six colorful coils.
  • Use small pieces of masking tape to secure one end of each finished coil firmly onto the cardboard base. Space the coils out slightly in a winding path.
  • Cut a long piece of ribbon (about 18 inches). Tie one end of the ribbon securely onto the first coil target.
  • Challenge your child to use their fingertips to carefully push the loose end of the ribbon straight through the center of the next tight coil.
  • Continue this weaving action. The child should push the ribbon through each coil one by one until they reach the end of the coiled line.

Safety Tip:
Adult supervision is required, as sharp scissors are used for preparation. Ensure the ends of the pipe cleaners are curled or tucked safely. Collect all small materials immediately after play.

Resistant Frame Weave

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.

Sponge Edge Clip Match

Sponge Edge Clip Match

Steps:

  • Soak the sponge completely in water until it is heavy and dense. Wring it out slightly so it is damp, not dripping.
  • Place the damp sponge firmly inside the plastic container to keep it stable on the table.
  • Use markers to color the base of the clothespins with 3 to 4 bright colors (e.g., red, blue, green).
  • Draw small, matching colored dots around the thick perimeter of the damp sponge, spacing them out evenly.
  • Ask your child to hold the container steady with their non-dominant (helper) hand to stabilize the base.
  • Pick up a colored clothespin. Encourage them to squeeze it open using a strong finger pinch.
  • Carefully clip the pin onto the sponge edge, matching the colored pin to the colored dot target. Continue clipping until all the dots are covered.

Safety Tip:
Clothespins are small objects and pose a significant choking hazard for children who still place items in their mouths. Constant and direct adult supervision is required throughout this activity. Ensure the child only handles the materials as intended.

Paper Crumple Pin Push

Paper Crumple Pin Push

Steps:

  • Tear the construction paper into small pieces. Encourage your child to crumple these pieces tightly into dense, hard balls using both hands.
  • Spread a thick layer of glue or use masking tape loops to secure the crumpled paper balls onto the cardboard base, covering the surface completely. Let it dry to create a resistant layer.
  • Place the finished board on a stable table. Hold the cardboard base firmly steady with your helper hand. This is important for proximal stability.
  • Pick up one Q-Tip using a neat pincer grasp (thumb and pointer finger). Aim the Q-Tip at the resistant paper layer.
  • Challenge your child to use a strong, controlled push to pierce the Q-Tip straight through the dense paper. Feel the heavy work input!
  • Repeat this pushing action until the entire board is filled with Q-Tip ‘pins.’
  • Use a precise pincer grasp to place a pom-pom onto the top of each Q-Tip stem for decoration.

Safety Tip:
Constant and direct adult supervision is required. Q-Tips and small pom-poms are choking hazards for children who still place objects in their mouths. Ensure materials are used only as intended and collected immediately after play.