Pre Writing - OTPlan

Resistance Trace Bag

Steps:

Adult Prep: Fill a gallon-sized Ziplock Bag halfway with corn kernels. Add a small amount of water to create a thick, dense texture that is resistant to movement.
Seal the bag tightly, ensuring all excess air is removed. Place the sealed bag flat inside a shallow plastic container to stabilize it on the table.
Use a marker to draw simple lines, letters, or shapes (like a circle or a cross) directly onto the outside of the bag.
Challenge your child to use only their pointer finger (finger isolation) to press hard into the bag, tracing the marker lines.
They must use sustained pressure to push the kernels aside, leaving a visible path in the resistant medium. This requires great effort!
When finished, gently shake the bag to reset the kernels. Use a damp paper towel to wipe the marker lines off the bag and start with a new shape.

Safety Tip:
Constant and direct adult supervision is required. Ensure the Ziplock Bag is sealed completely before use, as corn kernels pose a choking hazard if ingested.

Water Wipe Tracing

Steps:

Draw 3-4 large shapes (circle, square, triangle) on the chalkboard or vertical board using chalk or a marker.
Fill the spray bottle with water. Ensure the nozzle is set to stream, not mist, to provide resistance.
Challenge your child to hold the bottle with both hands first, then switch to one hand. Focus on using strong fingers to squeeze the trigger.
Aim the water stream at the drawn shapes. Spray directly onto the lines, “erasing” them by following the path.
Encourage strong, controlled squeezes to strengthen the hand muscles.

Safety Tip:
Supervise the activity closely to ensure water is not sprayed toward faces. Ensure the child stands stably while reaching for the vertical surface.

Paper Roll Snip Monster

Steps:

Use markers to color the entire outside surface of the paper roll (toilet paper or paper towel size) with bright colors. Encourage using both hands to stabilize the roll while coloring.
An adult should draw several straight lines (about 1 inch long) around the bottom edge of the roll, spaced about a quarter-inch apart. These are the guides for snipping.
Encourage your child to use their non-dominant hand firmly inside the roll to keep it steady (proximal stability) while using the scissors to carefully snip along each marked line.
Once the bottom is fully snipped, gently bend the strips outward to create a fringe (the ‘legs’ or ‘wiggly hair’).
Finish the craft by gluing two wiggle eyes onto the top section of the roll to complete your Paper Roll Snip Monster!

Safety Tip:
Always provide direct adult supervision when using scissors. Ensure that any small pieces, such as wiggle eyes, are properly glued or immediately removed from the workspace to prevent choking in children under 5.

Snowflake Sisters

This activity was inspired by our kiddo’s favorite movie involving a strong sisterly bond, a talking snowman, and the journey to discovering their strengths.

Blue Snowflake
Step 1: Fold construction paper in half.
Step 2: Fold it in half, again.
Step 3: Cut small snips off the corners & edges of your folded paper.
Step 4: Unfold & enjoy your magical snowflake!
Step 5: Try a new cutting & folding pattern to see which you like best.

Purple Snowflake
Step 1: Outline the shape of a snowflake with a marker.
Step 2: Trace the outline with glue from a glue bottle.
Step 3: Sprinkle salt on the glue & discard the extra salt that landed elsewhere on the paper.
Step 4: Let dry.
Step 5: Use watercolor paint to dab the salted lines & watch the magic travel through the snowflake!

Secret Message

Challenge your child’s core muscles by having them maintain a tabletop positioning (on their hands and knees).

Place a hand towel under their hands (or have them hold onto it), then have the child write out letters and words with their arm movements.

Guess their message by watching what they spell out with their towel.

Increase the challenge by:

Using their non-dominant hand.
Using their feet.