Pincer Control - Page 4 of 20

The Cardboard Coin Slide

Steps:

Adult: Cut a long, narrow rectangle from your cardboard to make a ramp.
Use masking tape to attach a paper cup to a table edge as a goal.
Ask your child to hold the top of the ramp with their helper hand.
Encourage them to use their other hand to pinch a coin at the top.
Aim the bottom of the cardboard ramp toward the paper cup target.
Release the coin and watch it slide into the cup!
Move the cup to different spots to change the angle and challenge level.

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child while playing with coins. Coins are a choking hazard. Ensure the cardboard edges are smooth to prevent scratches.

The Bubble Foundation Tower

Steps:

Place a small square of bubble wrap on a flat table.
Stack three small blocks on top of the bubble wrap foundation.
Use your markers to draw a tiny target on a single bead.
Hold your tweezers in your dominant hand like a pencil.
Carefully pick up the bead using the very tip of the tweezers.
Place the bead on the very center of the top block.
Try to add another block to the tower without dropping the bead!

Safety Tip:
Beads can be a choking hazard. Always supervise children during play and keep small parts away from younger siblings.

The Foil Pan Bead Toss

Steps:

Place the aluminium foil pan on a flat table or a waterproof surface.
Fill the pan about halfway with cool water to create a shallow pond.
Ask your child to stand a few steps away from the pan.
Give them a handful of colorful beads to hold in one hand.
Challenge them to toss the beads one by one into the water pan.
Once all the beads are in the water, give your child a spoon.
Ask them to use their dominant hand to scoop up one bead at a time.
Have them carefully carry the bead on the spoon to a nearby bowl.
Try to see how fast they can rescue all the beads from the pond!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child during water play to prevent any accidents. Beads are a significant choking hazard, so keep them away from children who still put objects in their mouth.

The Balloon Cup Wobble

Steps:

Blow up a balloon and tie it securely.
Place the balloon inside a bowl so it stands upright.
Use masking tape to stick three baking cups onto the top curve of the balloon.
Give your child a pair of tweezers and a small pile of colorful beads.
Ask your child to hold the bowl with one hand to keep it still.
Challenge them to use the tweezers to pick up one bead at a time.
Carefully drop the bead into one of the baking cups without tipping the balloon.
Watch the balloon wobble as they try to balance the weight of the beads!

Safety Tip:
CHOKING HAZARD: Beads and balloons are small parts or can break into small pieces. Always supervise your child closely during this activity. Keep materials away from younger siblings.

The Cardboard Ring Squeezer

Steps:

Use markers to draw three big circles on a piece of construction paper.
Color each circle a different color using your markers.
Take an empty paper roll and use your scissors to cut it into four rings.
Place a pile of colorful pom-poms on the table.
Show your child how to hold one cardboard ring between their thumb and fingers.
Squeeze the ring to make it flat like a pair of tweezers.
Use the flattened ring to pinch a pom-pom.
Carry the pom-pom and drop it into the matching colored circle on the paper.
See how fast you can sort all the fuzzy pom-poms!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child while they use scissors. Small pom-poms can be a choking hazard, so keep them away from younger siblings.