Skill: Proximal Stability

Strength and steadiness in the center of the body. A stable core and shoulders provide a solid base so the hands can be steady for writing or cutting.

Chalkdraw

For this activity, you can have the child draw on a chalkboard or on the sidewalk.

While large chalks would work better on the sidewalk, try to use small (or even broken) chalk to promote a tripod grasp.

Magnadoodle

First, have the child explore the Magnadoodle by scribbling and drawing anything they wish.

To work on pre-writing skills ask the child to imitate or copy certain strokes such as horizontal line, vertical line, circle, cross, and X.

For writing skills, you can have the child imitate or copy letters and numbers.
To promote wrist extension and proximal stabilization, place the Magnadoodle on a vertical surface.