Pincer Control - Page 9 of 20

Baking Cup Parachute Drop

Steps:

Help your child use a hole puncher to make four holes around the edge of a paper baking cup.
Cut four pieces of yarn, each about six inches long.
Show your child how to thread one piece of yarn through a hole and tie a simple knot.
Repeat this for all four holes until the cup has four strings hanging down.
Gather the ends of the yarn and use masking tape to stick them onto a pom-pom.
Hold the parachute high and let it go to watch it float to the ground!

Safety Tip:
Small pom-poms can be a choking hazard. Please keep them out of the reach of younger siblings and supervise your child closely.

Noodle Notch Shelf Build

Steps:

Use the scissors to cut a pool noodle into pieces about as long as a ruler.
Hold the noodle piece firmly with your non-cutting hand.
Snip three or four horizontal slits into the side of the foam.
Squeeze the handles together to make sure the scissors cut deep enough.
Slide a wooden craft stick halfway into each of the new slits.
Make sure the sticks are tight so they act like tiny shelves.
Use your thumb and pointer finger to pick up a soft pom-pom.
Carefully place the pom-pom onto the flat end of a craft stick.
See if you can fill all the shelves without any falling off!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child when they are using scissors. Ensure the pom-poms are not placed in the mouth as they can be a choking hazard.

Foil Maze Marble Glide

Steps:

Lay out the aluminum foil pan on a flat table.
Take three pipe cleaners and bend them into curvy, wavy lines.
Use masking tape to secure the pipe cleaners inside the pan as walls.
Place a marble at one end of the winding path.
Use a pointer finger to gently push the marble through the maze.
Try to keep the marble inside the pipe cleaner borders the whole time.
When you finish, tilt the pan to roll the marble back to the start.

Safety Tip:
Marbles are a significant choking hazard. Constant and direct adult supervision is required. Ensure all marbles are collected and stored out of reach after the activity.

Baking Cup Coin Balance

Steps:

Fill the Aluminium Foil Pan halfway with clear water.
Place one Baking Cup carefully onto the water surface.
Use a pincer grasp to pick up one coin.
Gently drop the coin into the center of the cup.
Continue adding coins to see how many it carries.
Try to keep the cup from tipping or sinking.

Safety Tip:
Constant adult supervision is required. Coins are small objects and pose a significant choking hazard. Ensure all materials are used only as intended and collected after play.

Putty Cord Threading Art

Steps:

Use markers to draw several small target dots randomly across the cardboard surface. Keep the cardboard stable with your helper hand.
Squeeze the hole puncher forcefully onto each marker dot. Punch 6 to 8 holes across the cardboard to create your weaving board.
Take a large lump of Theraputty. Use strong effort to roll the putty tightly into long, stiff, spaghetti-like cords.
Pick up one stiff putty cord. Hold the cardboard firmly steady with your non-dominant hand.
Challenge your child to use the stiff cord like a needle. Push the cord straight through one of the narrow punched holes. Pull it all the way through.
Continue threading and pushing the putty cords through the holes to create a colorful, textured design.

Safety Tip:
Constant and direct adult supervision is required. Theraputty/Playdough is a dense material and poses a choking hazard for children who still place items in their mouths. Ensure materials are used only as intended.