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.
Tape some ribbon around each cup. Use different ribbon colors for each paper cup.
Cut a few pieces of each color of ribbon.
Put the ribbon pieces in the container.
Ask the child to sort the pieces of ribbon, using the first three digits (thumb, pointer, and middle finger) and put the ribbons into the right container.
For grading: ask the child to use tweezers for picking up the ribbons and dropping each to the right cup.
Draw a simple shape (e.g. house, boat, tree) using the markers on the paper.
Ask the child to lay prone on the floor resting on his elbows.
Ask the child to use the tweezers to pick up the beads or pom-poms and place them on the shape you drew on the paper.
Using a paper cup, a styrofoam plate, or a piece of play dough, instruct the child to place the spaghetti vertically.
Provide the child with cheerios or beads and have him string the small objects onto the spaghetti.
If using different color beads or cheerios, you can have the child either sort the items into the different color groups or work on patterns (e.g. yellow-red-yellow-red…)
On a chalk board write the letters of the alphabet with chalk.
Add water to the container and place it next to the chalk board.
Ask the child to dip the paint brush in the water and trace the letters of the alphabet. Alternatively, you can use a sponge to enhance the tactile and grasp skills.
For grading, draw shapes on the chalk board instead of the letters of the alphabet.
