Pincer Grasp - OTPlan

The Masking Tape Finger Ladder

Steps:

Tape a large piece of cardboard vertically to a wall at your child’s eye level.
Use a marker to draw two long vertical lines on the cardboard to look like a ladder frame.
Cut ten short strips of masking tape using your scissors.
Stick the tape strips between the lines to create the ladder rungs.
Ask your child to ‘walk’ their index and middle fingers up the ladder like a tiny person.
Once they reach the top, have them use their pinching fingers to peel the top rung off.
Continue walking and peeling until every rung is in a pile on the floor!

Safety Tip:
Supervise your child closely during play. Ensure they do not put masking tape in their mouth. Make sure the cardboard is secured firmly to the wall.

Button Shadow Alignment

Steps:

Tape a piece of butcher paper onto a flat piece of cardboard.
Place the board in a sunny spot to create clear shadows.
Put five buttons on the paper and trace each shadow carefully.
Move the buttons into a pile away from the outlines.
Ask your child to pick up a button using their pincer grasp.
Challenge them to match each button to its correct shadow shape.

Safety Tip:
Buttons are a choking hazard. Always supervise your child during play and keep small parts away from the mouth.

Felt Petal Patch Builder

Steps:

Have your child choose two or three colorful sheets of felt to make their garden flowers.
Show your child how to use child-safe scissors to cut the felt into small, three-inch squares.
Ask them to fold each felt square in half.
Snip the corners to create rounded petal shapes.
Encourage your child to squeeze the hole puncher to click a hole in the center of each felt piece.
Roll a large, heavy ball of playdough using both hands.
Press it flat onto a paper plate to make a steady base.
Pick up a pipe cleaner.
Slide the felt petals onto it one by one using pinching fingers.
Push the bottom end of the pipe cleaner deep into the playdough base to plant their finished flower!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child closely during scissor play. Collect any small felt scraps or playdough bits immediately to prevent choking.

The Rainbow Feather Carton Pull

Steps:

Flip the egg carton upside down on a flat table.
An adult should use a pencil to poke a small hole in the top of each egg cup.
Push the quill end of a colorful feather into each hole.
Show your toddler how to hold the carton steady with their helper hand.
Ask them to pinch a feather with their thumb and index finger.
Have them pull the feather straight up and out of the hole.
Celebrate each time a feather pops free and drop it in a pile!

Safety Tip:
CHOKING HAZARD: Feathers are small parts and can be a choking hazard for toddlers. Always supervise your child closely during this activity. Ensure they do not place feathers in their mouth.

The Sunny Stained-Glass Bag

Steps:

Have your child choose three colors of tissue paper.
Ask them to use both hands to tear the paper into small pieces.
Have your child squeeze glue onto the front of the Ziplock bag.
Use a finger or a scrap of paper to spread the glue flat.
Pick up each paper square using a pincer grasp.
Press the colorful pieces onto the sticky glue.
Cover the whole bag to make a beautiful mosaic pattern.
Use masking tape to stick the bag onto a sunny window.

Safety Tip:
Supervise your child closely while they use scissors. Make sure they do not place the glue or small paper bits in their mouth.