Skill: Pincer Grasp

The pincer grasp is the coordination of the index finger and thumb to hold an item. Each time you hold a pen or button your shirt, you’re using the pincer grasp.

Pincer grasp is a hand grasp that develops around the time a baby is 8-10 months old. This grasp corresponds to the time a baby is beginning to feed themselves finger foods. The pincer grasp is needed in order to grasp a small item, pinch it between the index and thumb and bring it to the mouth.

The Colorful Jellyfish Weave

The Colorful Jellyfish Weave

Steps:

  • Have your child fold a coffee filter in half to make a dome shape for the jellyfish body.
  • Mix food coloring with water in a bowl.
  • Have your child use the eyedropper to drop color onto the filter.
  • Let the filter dry.
  • Ask your child to squeeze the hole puncher to make holes along the folded edge.
  • Show your child how to thread pieces of colorful yarn through the holes to make tentacles.
  • Challenge your child to slide shiny beads onto the yarn tentacles using their pinching fingers.

Safety Tip:
Supervise your child closely during this activity. Small beads are a choking hazard, so ensure they are kept out of reach of younger siblings. Keep the food coloring contained to prevent stains.

Floating Ball Sponge Rescue

Floating Ball Sponge Rescue

Steps:

  • Place an empty, clear plastic bottle on a flat table.
  • Drop a lightweight ping pong ball inside the bottom of the empty bottle.
  • Fill a large bowl with cool water and place it right next to the bottle.
  • Have your child dunk a sponge into the bowl to soak up the water.
  • Hold the bottle steady with their helper hand to keep it still.
  • Use the other hand to squeeze the wet sponge directly over the bottle opening.
  • Repeat this process, watching the ping pong ball float higher and higher.
  • Once the ball reaches the very top, use pinching fingers to pluck it out!

Safety Tip:
Supervise your child closely during water play. Ensure the bottle has a wide opening with no sharp plastic edges.

The Wobbly Tightrope Balance

The Wobbly Tightrope Balance

Steps:

  • Use scissors to cut a long cardboard strip, about ten inches long.
  • Use your markers and ruler to draw a straight line down the middle.
  • Color the left side blue and the right side orange.
  • Squeeze two clothespins and clip them to the bottom to make legs.
  • Stand the cardboard strip upright on a flat table.
  • Hand your child a basket of colorful clothespins.
  • Ask them to hold the wobbly cardboard steady with their helper hand.
  • Use their pinching fingers to clip clothespins onto the top edge.
  • Challenge them to match the color of the pins to the cardboard side.
  • Gently place a pom-pom into each clipped pin to finish!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child closely during play. Clothespins can pinch little fingers, and pom-poms are a choking hazard.

The Golf Tee Nail Salon

The Golf Tee Nail Salon

Steps:

  • Place the Styrofoam block flat on a table.
  • Use colorful markers to color the flat, round top of each golf ball tee.
  • Explain to your child that these tees are fingers getting a manicure.
  • Ask your child to hold a tee tightly with their pinching fingers.
  • Use the other hand to hold the Styrofoam block steady.
  • Push the pointed end of the tee straight down into the Styrofoam.
  • Line up five tees in a row to create a hand.
  • Carefully place a small sticker on top of each colored tee to finish the style!

Safety Tip:
Golf tees have pointed ends. Always supervise your child during play to prevent accidental pokes or swallowing of small stickers.

Yarn Ring Orbit Slider

Yarn Ring Orbit Slider

Steps:

  • Use markers to draw a bright yellow sun in the very center of your paper plate.
  • Use the hole puncher to click four holes around the outer rim of the plate.
  • Use scissors to cut two pieces of yarn, each about twelve inches long.
  • Have your child slide three colorful beads onto each piece of yarn.
  • Push the ends of the yarn through the opposite holes to create two crossing tracks.
  • Secure the yarn ends firmly to the back of the paper plate using masking tape.
  • Ask your child to hold the plate steady on the table with their helper hand.
  • Use the pinching fingers of their other hand to slide the beads along the tracks from orbit to orbit!

Safety Tip:
Supervise your child closely when they are handling scissors, small beads, or yarn. Store all small pieces safely out of reach after play to prevent any choking hazards.