Skill: Proprioception

Proprioception is how your body knows what position it is in. It is the sense that enables us to know where the different parts of our body are, how they are moving, and how much strength our muscles need to use. Our muscles, joints, and skin all contain sensory receptors that contribute to proprioceptive input.

Felt Tapestry Push

Felt Tapestry Push

Steps:

  • Adult Prep: Use scissors to cut 8 to 10 tight, narrow, horizontal slits into the felt sheet.
  • Secure the felt tightly onto the cardboard using masking tape on all edges. Tape the cardboard base firmly onto the table.
  • Take two pipe cleaners and twist them tightly together to create one stiff, thick ‘needle’ for threading.
  • Hold the cardboard base steady with your helper hand. Use a strong pincer grasp to pick up the end of the stiff pipe cleaner needle.
  • Challenge your child to thread the pipe cleaner straight through one tight felt slit. Push it completely through, feeling the resistance of the fabric.
  • Continue threading the pipe cleaner into the remaining slits, creating a dense, woven tapestry pattern across the felt surface.

Safety Tip:
Constant adult supervision is required. Pipe cleaners are small materials and pose a potential choking hazard for young children. Ensure all materials are used only as intended.

Foil Sticker Peel

Foil Sticker Peel

Steps:

  • Tear off a sheet of aluminum foil. Lay it flat on the table and smooth out the wrinkles.
  • Use markers to draw 10 to 12 small circles randomly across the foil surface. These are your sticker targets.
  • Place a few small stickers (dot stickers work best) onto the plastic container lid. Press them down firmly so they are hard to peel.
  • Ask your child to hold the container steady with their helper hand. Use the tweezers to grasp the edge of a sticky sticker.
  • Peel the sticker off the container lid against the resistance. This requires controlled, strong force.
  • Carefully carry the sticker over the foil and use the tweezers to press the sticker onto a marker circle. Repeat until all stickers are placed.

Safety Tip:
Due to the small size of the stickers and tweezers, constant and direct adult supervision is required. These materials are choking hazards for children who still place objects in their mouths.

Sponge Stick Rotation

Sponge Stick Rotation

Steps:

  • Fill the bowl with water. Soak the sponge completely. Ask your child to wring the sponge out tightly, making it damp and dense.
  • Place the damp, dense sponge firmly inside the plastic container to keep it stable on the table.
  • Hold the container steady with your helper hand. Pick up one craft stick using a comfortable grasp with your working hand.
  • Aim the flat end of the stick at the sponge. Use a strong, twisting motion to screw the stick halfway into the resistant sponge.
  • Continue twisting all the craft sticks into the sponge until the surface looks like a prickly cushion.
  • Challenge your child to reverse the movement: use a strong twist and pull to remove the sticks one by one. Try switching hands for stabilization.

Safety Tip:
Constant adult supervision is required. Ensure the child remains seated while working and only uses the craft sticks for the intended twisting action.

Foam Fortress Cut

Foam Fortress Cut

Steps:

  • Draw several thick, straight lines or simple shapes (like squares and rectangles) onto the foam sheets using markers.
  • Help your child position the foam on a stable table. Encourage them to hold the foam firmly with their non-dominant hand to keep it from slipping.
  • Challenge the child to cut along the drawn lines using child-safe scissors. Cutting through the thick foam requires a strong, sustained squeeze.
  • Once all the foam pieces are cut, choose two pieces and align their edges. Push them firmly together to connect them and create a small structure.
  • Continue connecting the foam pieces by pushing their edges together until the entire ‘fortress’ or structure is complete. Try to make it as tall as possible.

Safety Tip:
Constant and direct adult supervision is required. Ensure the child uses age-appropriate scissors safely and monitors the position of their helper hand, keeping fingers away from the cutting path.

Resistant Card Weave Pull

Resistant Card Weave Pull

Steps:

  • Ask an adult to cut 8 to 10 index cards into thick, uniform strips (about 1 inch wide).
  • Weave the strips together tightly in an over-under checkerboard pattern to create a square ‘mat’.
  • An adult should securely wrap masking tape around the entire perimeter of the woven square. Wrap the tape tightly to keep the weave stable and add resistance.
  • Place the finished woven card square flat on a stable table. Challenge your child to hold the square firmly steady with their non-dominant hand (the helper hand).
  • Encourage your child to use their working hand to grasp the edge of one woven strip and pull it straight out of the resistant tape frame.
  • The pulling requires strong, controlled force. Continue pulling the strips free until the entire woven piece has been unraveled. Drop the rescued strips into the container.

Safety Tip:
Constant and direct adult supervision is required. Adults should handle the scissors during preparation. Ensure the child remains seated stably when performing the strong pulling motions.