Pincer Control

Coil Drop Target

Steps:

Adult Prep: Tightly coil 5 to 6 pipe cleaners into small, narrow spirals or loops to create the targets.
Clip one pipe cleaner spiral onto the open end of a clothespin. Repeat this for all the coils.
Fill a separate container halfway with water and add a few drops of food coloring to create ‘magic potion.’
Ask your child to clip the clothespin targets onto the rim of the paper cup, making sure the coils hang inside.
Challenge your child to hold the eyedropper with a neat pincer grasp, suck up the colored water, and carry it to the paper cup.
Carefully aim the eyedropper and squeeze gently to deposit the colored drops into the narrow opening of the pipe cleaner coil. Repeat until the coils are full.

Safety Tip:
Constant and direct adult supervision is required. Pipe cleaners are small materials and pose a potential choking hazard for young children. Ensure the colored water is not ingested.

Twist Cap Treasure Drop

Steps:

Place the buttons in a plastic container next to the empty bottles.
Challenge your child to hold one bottle tightly with their helper hand to stabilize it on the table.
Use the working hand to twist the cap off the bottle completely. Encourage smooth forearm rotation (twisting).
Pick up one button using only the thumb and pointer finger (pincer grasp).
Carefully drop the button into the narrow opening of the bottle. This requires strong aim and distal finger control.
Once the button is inside, pick up the cap and twist it firmly back onto the bottle using the opposite rotation. Make sure it is tight!
Repeat this entire sequence of twist-off, drop-in, and twist-on until all the buttons are delivered into the bottle.

Safety Tip:
Buttons are small, hard objects. Constant and direct adult supervision is required throughout this activity, as they pose a choking hazard for children under five.

Tight Stick Wedge Push

Steps:

Fold an index card tightly in half lengthwise. This creates a stiff, narrow V-shaped wedge.
Press a small lump of Theraputty or stiff playdough firmly down inside the V-wedge. The putty should be resistant.
Place the loaded index card wedge flat inside the plastic container to keep it stable on the table.
Ask your child to hold the container firmly steady with their non-dominant hand (the helper hand).
Pick up one craft stick. Challenge your child to aim and push the stick straight down into the resistant putty through the narrow V-opening.
Encourage strong, controlled pushes until the putty wedge is completely filled with sticks. Pull the sticks out for a reverse challenge.

Safety Tip:
Theraputty, playdough, and craft sticks are small objects. Constant and direct adult supervision is required throughout this activity to prevent choking hazards for children in this age group.

Squeeze and Slot Cups

Steps:

Adult Prep: Take a sturdy cardboard box and secure the lid shut with masking tape. Use scissors to cut one very narrow, tight slot (about 3 inches long) into the top center of the box.
Give your child the paper cups. Challenge them to use both hands to squeeze and crumple each cup as flat and stiff as possible. Encourage them to press hard to feel the crunch!
Pick up one flat, crumpled cup. Ask your child to hold the prepared box firmly with their helper hand to keep it steady on the table.
Challenge your child to aim the stiff edge of the cup into the narrow slot. They must use a strong, controlled push to send the crushed cup completely inside the box.
Repeat this crushing and slotting process until all the paper cups have been successfully posted inside the resistant box.

Safety Tip:
Constant adult supervision is required. Ensure that the cardboard box is stable and cannot tip over when the child applies pushing force. Adults must handle the scissors when cutting the resistant slot.

Cardboard Crunch Slot

Steps:

Adult Prep: Use masking tape to fully cover the opening of the plastic container. Cut one very narrow, tight slot (about 1.5 inches long) in the center of the taped lid.
Give your child a piece of firm cardboard. Encourage them to use both hands to tear the cardboard into small, jagged, postage stamp-sized pieces. Tearing this resistant material is heavy work!
Ask your child to hold the prepared container firmly with their helper hand to keep it stable on the table.
Pick up one torn, rough cardboard piece. Aim the piece at the narrow slot and turn it until it fits just right.
Use a strong, steady push with the fingertips to send the cardboard piece completely inside the container. Repeat until all the torn pieces are posted!

Safety Tip:
Cardboard scraps and masking tape are potential choking hazards. Constant, direct adult supervision is required throughout this activity. Ensure the child remains seated and does not put materials near their mouth.