Pincer Control - Page 7 of 20

The Clothespin Cliff Climber

Steps:

Place the shoe box on its side on a flat table.
Use masking tape to stick five index cards vertically along the side of the box.
Make sure the cards are spaced out like steps on a ladder.
Use markers to draw a small start flag on the bottom card and a finish flag on the top card.
Have your child use a clothespin to clip onto the bottom index card.
Challenge them to unclip and move the clothespin up to the next card without the box sliding.
Continue until the climber reaches the top flag!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child during this activity to ensure they use the clothespins safely on the cards.

The Bubble Drop Precision Road

Steps:

Lay a small sheet of bubble wrap flat on a table with the bubbles facing up.
Fill a small plastic container with water and add two drops of food coloring.
Show your child how to squeeze the eyedropper to soak up the colorful water.
Challenge them to place exactly one drop of water on top of each individual bubble.
Once the road is full of drops, have them use a paper towel to gently blot and soak up the water.
Try again with a different color to see the jewels sparkle on the plastic!

Safety Tip:
Adult supervision is recommended. Small drops of water can be slippery. Handle the eyedropper gently to avoid spills.

Sticky Finger Bead Rescue

Steps:

Wrap a small piece of masking tape around your child’s index finger.
Make sure the sticky side faces out.
Place a small bowl of colorful beads on the table.
Ask your child to tap a bead with their sticky finger to pick it up.
They must use their thumb to peel the bead off.
Have them drop the bead into a paper cup.
Repeat until the cup is full of rescued beads!

Safety Tip:
Adult supervision is required. Beads are a choking hazard. Keep beads away from children who put items in their mouths.

The Bead Bridge Slide

Steps:

Cut two short pieces of a straw, each about two inches long.
Tape these pieces vertically onto a piece of cardboard, leaving a six-inch gap between them.
Thread four colorful beads onto a full-length straw.
Slide the ends of the long straw into the two short taped pieces to create a bridge.
Ask your child to use their pinching fingers to slide the beads from one end to the other.
Challenge them to move the beads back and forth without letting the straw bridge collapse!

Safety Tip:
Adult supervision is required because beads and straw pieces are small and can be a choking hazard.

Crumpled Leaf Twig Tree

Steps:

Stand your branch inside the container using a large lump of playdough.
Encourage your child to tear strips of tissue paper with both hands.
Ask them to crumple the paper into small balls using only their fingertips.
Have your child pick up a clothespin and squeeze it open.
They must trap a tissue paper leaf inside the clothespin.
Challenge them to clip the leaf onto a twig on the branch.
Continue until the branch is full of colorful tissue paper leaves!

Safety Tip:
Adult supervision is required. Small pieces of tissue paper and playdough can be a choking hazard. Watch for sharp twigs on the branches.