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.

Putty Spool Force Push

Putty Spool Force Push

Steps:

  • Adult Prep: Press a large lump of stiff playdough firmly into the bottom of the container to create a stable base.
  • Adult Prep: Twist 5 to 6 short pieces of yarn tightly into small loops. Embed these yarn loops halfway into the surface of the playdough, ensuring they are resistant.
  • Ask your child to hold the container firmly steady with their helper hand to stabilize the base on the table.
  • Pick up one craft stick. Encourage a firm, three-finger or pincer grip on the stick.
  • Aim the stick at a resistant yarn loop embedded in the playdough base.
  • Use a strong, controlled push to drive the stick straight through the yarn and deep into the resistant playdough. Feel the effort!
  • Repeat this action until all the yarn loops have a stick pushed through them. Pull them out quickly for extra heavy work!

Safety Tip:
Constant and direct adult supervision is required. Playdough, yarn, and craft sticks are small objects and pose a choking hazard for children who still place items in their mouths. Ensure materials are used only as intended.

Foam Spike Pom-Pom Insert

Foam Spike Pom-Pom Insert

Steps:

  • Secure the foam sheet firmly onto a piece of construction paper using masking tape. This stabilizes the work surface.
  • Use a marker to draw 10 to 15 short, straight lines (these are your ‘spike’ targets) randomly across the foam sheet’s surface.
  • Challenge your child to hold the foam steady with their helper hand. Use child-safe scissors to snip along each drawn marker line. Squeezing through the resistant foam requires strong effort!
  • Pick up one pom-pom using a precise pincer grasp (thumb and pointer finger).
  • Carefully aim the soft pom-pom at one of the newly snipped slits. Use controlled force to push the pom-pom halfway into the slit, turning the foam into a colorful, spiky cushion.
  • Repeat this inserting action until the entire foam surface is covered in pom-pom ‘spikes’.

Safety Tip:
Constant and direct adult supervision is required when using scissors. Ensure that the child uses the scissors only for cutting the foam. Small pom-poms are used in this activity and pose a potential choking hazard for young children. Collect all small materials immediately after play.

Tight Coil Tunnel Twist

Tight Coil Tunnel Twist

Steps:

  • Adult Prep: Cut an index card in half. Cover one half completely with aluminum foil, crimping the edges tightly underneath. Secure this foiled card flat onto a sturdy piece of cardboard using masking tape.
  • Use a marker tip or pen to poke 5-6 small starter holes into the foil surface. These holes should be slightly smaller than the pipe cleaners.
  • Encourage your child to twist the pipe cleaners tightly around their finger or a pencil to create small, dense, stiff coils. This builds hand strength!
  • Ask your child to hold the stable cardboard base firmly steady with their helper hand (proximal stability).
  • Pick up one finished coil with a strong pincer grasp (thumb and pointer finger). Aim the coil at a starter hole.
  • Use a strong, continuous twisting motion (like screwing in a lightbulb) to turn the coil. Screw the stiff coil into and through the resistant foil and cardboard base until it is fully embedded. Repeat until all holes are filled.

Safety Tip:
Constant and direct adult supervision is required. Pipe cleaners are small materials and, especially when cut or tightly coiled, pose a choking hazard for children who still place objects in their mouths. Collect all pieces immediately after play.

Shredded Paper Glue Dot

Shredded Paper Glue Dot

Steps:

  • Use a marker to draw 8-10 tiny target dots onto the sturdy cardboard base. Keep the dots small for a precision challenge.
  • Take one index card. Use both hands together to rip the card into tiny, jagged pieces. Encourage strong, controlled pulls for heavy work input. Drop the scraps into the container.
  • Pick up the glue bottle. Carefully squeeze a small, controlled dot of glue directly onto each marker target dot.
  • Now, use the tweezers. Pinch one tiny paper scrap using a strong pincer grasp.
  • Hold the cardboard steady with your helper hand. Aim the scrap at a wet glue dot and carefully press it down to secure it. Repeat until all dots are filled!

Safety Tip:
Constant and direct adult supervision is required. Small paper scraps and tweezers are used in this activity. These materials pose a choking hazard for young children who still place objects in their mouths. Ensure materials are used only as intended.

Tee-Weave Card Creator

Tee-Weave Card Creator

Steps:

  • Fold three index cards tightly in half to create one thick, sturdy base. Press hard along the fold for maximum resistance.
  • Use the hole puncher to squeeze and punch 6 to 8 starter holes along the edges of the folded card. Squeezing the puncher requires strength!
  • Hold the thick card steady with your helper hand to keep it stabilized on the table.
  • Pick up one golf tee using a strong pincer grasp. Aim the tee at one of the punched holes.
  • Use a strong, controlled push to pierce the tee completely through the layered cardboard base. Remove the tee.
  • Repeat this forceful piercing action until all punched holes have been filled with tees and then removed.
  • Pick up a stiff pipe cleaner and use your fingertips to lace it through the newly pierced holes, creating a colorful pattern.

Safety Tip:
Golf ball tees have pointed ends. Constant adult supervision is required. Ensure the child pushes the tee straight down into the card, away from the face or body.