Pincer Control - Page 5 of 20

The Rainbow Hand Weaver

Steps:

Trace your child’s hand onto a sturdy piece of cardboard using a marker.
Use a hole puncher to make one hole at the tip of each finger and one at the wrist.
Tie a long piece of colorful yarn to the hole at the wrist.
Show your child how to thread the yarn through the thumb hole first.
Encourage them to weave the yarn back to the wrist and then up to the next finger.
Continue until every finger is connected to the wrist with a beautiful yarn bridge.

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child when they are using a hole puncher or handling long pieces of yarn.

The Ribbon Ladder Rescue

Steps:

Use masking tape to secure two long ribbons vertically onto a wall.
Space the ribbons about five inches apart so the sticks fit between them.
Ensure the ribbons are pulled tight from the top to the bottom.
Give your child a handful of clothespins and several colorful craft sticks.
Ask them to hold a craft stick horizontally against the two ribbons.
Show them how to clip the stick to the ribbons using the clothespins.
Repeat this to build several rungs all the way up the wall.
Once the ladder is finished, they can use their fingers to climb it!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child to ensure they do not pull the ribbon off the wall or put materials in their mouth.

The Egg Carton Bridge Weaver

Steps:

Flip your empty egg carton upside down on the table.
Use your markers to draw small dots on the very top of each egg cup.
Adult step: Use scissors to poke a small, narrow hole through each marker dot.
Give your child a pipe cleaner and ask them to push one end into a hole.
Encourage them to bend the pipe cleaner over to a different egg cup.
Have them push the other end into a second hole to make a bridge.
Continue adding pipe cleaners to create a crisscross web over the peaks.
Challenge them to see how many colorful bridges they can build without any collapsing!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child when they are using scissors or pipe cleaners to avoid pokes.

The Coffee Filter Magic Flower

Steps:

Set out a few white coffee filters on a tray or plastic container.
Show your child how to fold the coffee filter in half, then in half again.
Mix a few drops of food coloring into small cups of water.
Have your child squeeze the eyedropper to soak up the colorful water.
Encourage them to carefully drop the water onto the folded edges of the filter.
Slowly unfold the wet filter to see a beautiful, colorful pattern.
Let the filters dry to create magic flowers or window art!

Safety Tip:
Food coloring can stain clothes and surfaces. Use a tray to keep the water contained. Always supervise your child when using the eyedropper and water.

The Palm-Flip Treasure Drop

Steps:

Use masking tape to secure a paper cup to the edge of a sturdy table.
Place a small pile of coins on the table next to the cup.
Ask your child to rest their forearm on the table with their palm facing down.
Place one coin on the back of their hand.
Encourage them to rotate their wrist until the palm faces up so the coin sits in their palm.
If they feel wobbly, have them use their other hand to help stabilize the arm.
Finally, use a pincer grasp to drop the coin into the cup!

Safety Tip:
Coins are a choking hazard. Always supervise your child. Do not let them put coins in their mouth.