Pincer Control - Page 3 of 20

The Foil Pan Water Bridge

Steps:

Place your pan on a flat table and fill it halfway with cool water.
Hand your child several colorful clothespins to hold.
Show them how to squeeze and clip the pins onto the rim of the pan.
Space the pins out in pairs across from each other.
Ask your child to rest a craft stick across each pair of pins to create a bridge.
Once the bridges are ready, give them a few fuzzy pom-poms.
Challenge your child to use their pincer fingers to set a pom-pom on a bridge.
They must be very careful to keep the bridges from falling into the water!
See how many pom-poms they can balance before the pan is full of bridges.

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child during water play to prevent any risk of slipping or spilling. Small pom-poms can be a choking hazard, so keep them away from younger siblings.

The Baking Cup Button Slot

Steps:

First, glue several paper baking cups onto a flat piece of cardboard.
Use your scissors to cut a small, narrow slit in the bottom of each cup.
Make sure the slit is just a little bit smaller than your buttons.
Use markers to draw a different colored circle around the slit in each cup.
Ask your child to find a button that matches the color of the circle.
Challenge them to use their pinching fingers to squeeze the button through the slit!
They should hold the cardboard steady with their other hand while they push.
Listen for the soft sound as the button falls through to the board.

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child during play as buttons are a choking hazard. Ensure the cardboard edges are smooth to prevent scratches.

Cosmic Pincer Star Weave

Steps:

Cut a large, sturdy square out of your cardboard using the scissors.
Use your markers to draw a large, bright star in the very center of the cardboard.
Decorate the area around the star with small planet and galaxy stickers.
Use the hole puncher to create a ring of holes all the way around the outside edge of your cardboard square.
Cut a long piece of yarn and wrap a small bit of masking tape around one end to make a stiff ‘needle.’
Tape the other end of the yarn securely to the back of the cardboard.
Challenge your child to ‘weave’ the shooting star by pushing the yarn through a hole from the back to the front.
Have them pull the yarn across the center star and push it into a hole on the opposite side.
Continue this crisscross pattern until every hole has been used and the star is caught in a colorful yarn web!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child when they are using scissors or a hole puncher. Ensure the yarn length is safe for play and collected after the activity.

The Coffee Filter Raindrop Race

Steps:

Place six baking cups in a circle on a large paper plate.
Fill a small bowl with water and add two drops of food coloring.
Lay one coffee filter flat across the top of all the baking cups.
Ask your child to hold the eyedropper with their thumb and pointer finger.
Squeeze the dropper to pick up some of the colored raindrops.
Carefully drop water onto the filter right over each cup target.
Watch the water soak through and try to fill each cup equally!

Safety Tip:
Food coloring and small cups can be messy. Always watch your child closely to make sure they do not drink the water.

Sticky Balloon Treasure Peel

Steps:

Blow up a balloon and tie it securely.
Wrap several strips of masking tape around the balloon.
Make sure the sticky side faces outward.
Press several cotton balls onto the sticky tape.
Ask your child to hold the balloon with their helper hand.
Have them use their other hand to peel the cotton balls off.
Drop the rescued cotton balls into a basket.

Safety Tip:
Balloons and broken pieces are a serious choking hazard. Always watch your child and pick up popped pieces right away.