Skill: Pincer Control

Using the tips of the thumb and index finger to pick up small objects. This delicate movement is used for eating finger foods, buttoning clothes, and eventually holding a pencil.

The Ribbon Ring Squeeze

The Ribbon Ring Squeeze

Steps:

  • Use markers to draw colorful stripes around your empty paper roll.
  • Cut several long strips of ribbon using your child-safe scissors.
  • Use masking tape to stick one end of a ribbon to the top of the roll.
  • Ask your child to hold the paper roll steady with their helper hand.
  • Have them use their other hand to wrap the ribbon tightly around the roll.
  • Once the ribbon is wrapped, use a pincer grasp to tape the end down.
  • Repeat this with different colors until the whole tube is fuzzy and bright!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child while they are using scissors. Ensure the ribbon pieces are not long enough to wrap around the neck.

The Foam Garden Button Push

The Foam Garden Button Push

Steps:

  • Use a marker to draw a simple flower center on your foam sheet.
  • Ask an adult to cut four narrow slits around the flower center using scissors.
  • Place the foam sheet flat on the table.
  • Have your child hold the foam steady with their helper hand.
  • Give them a pile of colorful, large buttons to use as petals.
  • Ask them to use their pinching fingers to push a button halfway into a slit.
  • Repeat until the flower has a full circle of colorful button petals!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child during play. Small buttons can be a choking hazard. Ensure the buttons are large enough and kept away from the mouth.

Shimmering Foil Scale Match

Shimmering Foil Scale Match

Steps:

  • Draw a large fish shape on your piece of cardboard using a marker.
  • Help your child cut out the fish shape with the scissors.
  • Draw several colorful dots on the fish body to look like scale spots.
  • Give your child a sheet of aluminium foil to hold with both hands.
  • Ask them to tear off small squares of foil to make scales.
  • Squeeze a dot of glue onto each colorful spot on the fish.
  • Use pinching fingers to press a foil scale onto every glue dot.

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child while they are using scissors. Ensure the edges of the foil are pressed down flat to prevent any tiny scratches.

Balloon Bead Balance Mission

Balloon Bead Balance Mission

Steps:

  • Blow up a balloon and tie it securely.
  • Place a bowl of beads and an empty basket on a stable table.
  • Ask your child to stand in front of the materials.
  • Have them rest the balloon on the flat palm of their non-dominant helper hand.
  • Use the tweezers in their other hand to pick up a single bead.
  • Carefully carry the bead and drop it into the basket while keeping the balloon balanced.
  • If the balloon falls, return the bead and try again from the start.

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child during play. Small beads are a significant choking hazard. Ensure the balloon is handled carefully to avoid popping near the face.

The Sticky Ribbon Rainbow Reach

The Sticky Ribbon Rainbow Reach

Steps:

  • Tape a large piece of cardboard vertically to a wall at your child’s eye level.
  • Cut five strips of colorful ribbon, each about six inches long.
  • Use masking tape to stick only the top end of each ribbon to the far left side of the cardboard.
  • Place five small pieces of tape, sticky side out, on the far right side of the cardboard.
  • Have your child stand in the center of the board.
  • Ask them to reach across with their right hand to grab a ribbon from the left.
  • They must pull it across and stick it to the matching tape on the right!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child during play to ensure the ribbon and tape are handled safely.