Skill: Motor Planning

Motor planning is the ability to assess a motor activity, plan and organize how to carry out that motor activity, and finally implement motor skills to achieve that motor activity.

Motor planning leads to the ability to carry out a motor skill automatically after enough practice.

The Rainbow Hand Weaver

The Rainbow Hand Weaver

Steps:

  • Trace your child’s hand onto a sturdy piece of cardboard using a marker.
  • Use a hole puncher to make one hole at the tip of each finger and one at the wrist.
  • Tie a long piece of colorful yarn to the hole at the wrist.
  • Show your child how to thread the yarn through the thumb hole first.
  • Encourage them to weave the yarn back to the wrist and then up to the next finger.
  • Continue until every finger is connected to the wrist with a beautiful yarn bridge.

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child when they are using a hole puncher or handling long pieces of yarn.

The Foil Pan Marble Rink

The Foil Pan Marble Rink

Steps:

  • Place a small paper cup inside the aluminium pan near one edge.
  • Secure the cup to the bottom using a piece of masking tape.
  • Put a single marble into the pan on the opposite side.
  • Ask your child to pick up the pan using both hands.
  • Challenge them to tilt the pan to roll the marble.
  • The goal is to roll the marble directly into the cup!
  • Once it is in, tip it out and try again.

Safety Tip:
Marbles are a significant choking hazard. Always supervise your child. Keep all small materials away from younger siblings.

Balloon Tap and Cup Sort

Balloon Tap and Cup Sort

Steps:

  • Blow up a balloon and tie it tightly.
  • Place a basket on the carpet filled with five paper cups.
  • Set a second empty basket a short distance away.
  • Ask your child to tap the balloon into the air with their right hand.
  • While it is in the air, they must use their left hand to move one cup.
  • See how many cups they can move before the balloon hits the floor!

Safety Tip:
Adult supervision is required because balloons and their broken pieces are a serious choking hazard for young children.

The Egg Carton Bridge Weaver

The Egg Carton Bridge Weaver

Steps:

  • Flip your empty egg carton upside down on the table.
  • Use your markers to draw small dots on the very top of each egg cup.
  • Adult step: Use scissors to poke a small, narrow hole through each marker dot.
  • Give your child a pipe cleaner and ask them to push one end into a hole.
  • Encourage them to bend the pipe cleaner over to a different egg cup.
  • Have them push the other end into a second hole to make a bridge.
  • Continue adding pipe cleaners to create a crisscross web over the peaks.
  • Challenge them to see how many colorful bridges they can build without any collapsing!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child when they are using scissors or pipe cleaners to avoid pokes.

The Over-Head Balloon Drop

The Over-Head Balloon Drop

Steps:

  • Place a soft pillow on the floor for your child to lie on.
  • Set a large basket about a foot behind your child’s head.
  • Ask your child to lie on their back and squeeze a balloon between their ankles while holding the pillow sides.
  • Encourage them to lift their legs up and over their head.
  • The goal is to drop the balloon into the basket without using their hands!
  • Try it again and see how many times they can score in a row.

Safety Tip:
Ensure the area behind the child’s head is clear of hard furniture or sharp edges.