Motor Planning - Page 5 of 44

Sticky Stocking Treasure Walk

Steps:

Place several colorful pom-poms on a smooth floor area.
Take a long strip of masking tape.
Wrap it loosely around your toddler’s stocking-covered foot with the sticky side facing out.
Help your child stand up and hold your hands for balance.
Encourage them to step directly onto a pom-pom so it sticks to their foot.
Have them lift their foot to see the treasure they caught.
Ask them to use their hands to pull the pom-pom off and put it in a basket.
Switch to the other foot to keep both legs working hard!

Safety Tip:
CHOKING HAZARD: Pom-poms and tape are small parts. Always supervise your toddler closely and ensure they do not put these items in their mouth.

The Rainbow Tissue Windmill

Steps:

Use your scissors to cut two straws into four-inch lengths.
Lay the straws across each other to form a perfect X shape.
Place a small piece of masking tape in the center to hold them.
Cut four small squares of colorful tissue paper using your scissors.
Tape one tissue square to the very end of each straw arm.
Use the pencil tip to poke a hole through the center tape.
Push a pipe cleaner through the hole you made.
Slide one bead onto the pipe cleaner on each side of the straws.
Wrap one end of the pipe cleaner around a pencil to make a handle.
Twist the other end into a small loop to keep everything in place.

Safety Tip:
Adult supervision is recommended when using scissors and the pencil to poke holes. Ensure the beads are handled carefully.

The Wobbly Straw Slalom

Steps:

Roll several small balls of playdough and press them onto a table to make steady bases.
Cut your straws into pieces about four inches long.
Stick one straw piece vertically into each playdough base to create slalom poles.
Line up your poles in a straight or zigzag row.
Tie a single large bead to the end of a long piece of string to act as your weight.
Hold the string with both hands and weave the bead around each straw pole from start to finish.
Challenge your child to go faster or weave the string in a specific pattern you call out!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child during play. Beads and playdough are choking hazards, so keep them away from younger siblings.

Paper Cup Balance Track

Steps:

Line up six paper cups upside down in a row on a flat table.
Use masking tape to secure each cup base to the table so they do not move.
Use a bright marker to draw a simple line across the top of all the cups to create a path.
Place a ping pong ball on the first cup in the line.
Hand your child a spoon and ask them to hold it with their dominant hand.
Challenge them to use the spoon to gently push the ball along the marker path from one cup to the next.
See if they can reach the final cup without the ball falling off the track!
If the ball falls, have them pick it up using their pincer fingers and start again.

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child during play to ensure they use the spoon and ball safely.

Double Cup Balloon Bop

Steps:

Blow up a balloon and tie it securely to get things started.
Give your child two sturdy paper cups to use as paddles.
Have them hold one cup in each hand while standing in an open space.
Toss the balloon gently into the air to begin the game.
Ask your child to tap the balloon up using the bottom of either cup.
Challenge them to alternate hands by hitting it with the left cup and then the right.
See how many times they can keep the balloon in the air before it hits the ground!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise children during balloon play. Broken balloon pieces are a choking hazard and should be picked up and discarded immediately.