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.

Vertical Tear & Crumple Press

Vertical Tear & Crumple Press

Steps:

  • Secure the cardboard piece vertically onto a stable wall or door using masking tape.
  • Use long strips of masking tape, sticky side OUT, to create a large shape (like a circle or square) onto the cardboard surface.
  • Give your toddler strips of construction paper. Encourage them to use both hands to tear the paper into small, rough pieces.
  • Challenge your child to crumple each torn piece tightly into a small, dense ball using only their fingertips.
  • Hold the cardboard steady with the helper hand. Pick up one dense paper ball using a pincer grasp.
  • Use a strong, controlled push to firmly press the paper ball onto the vertical sticky tape shape. Repeat until the shape is covered.

Safety Tip:
Constant and direct adult supervision is required. Torn paper pieces are a choking hazard for children under three. Ensure your child remains standing or sitting stably and does not attempt to put materials in their mouth.

Wet Sponge Weight Weave

Wet Sponge Weight Weave

Steps:

  • Fill the container with water and soak the sponge fully. Wring it out hard so it is damp and dense, then press it firmly back into the container base.
  • Adult Prep: Tie one bead securely onto the end of a 12-inch piece of yarn. Tie the opposite end of the yarn onto the middle of one craft stick.
  • Challenge your child to hold the container firmly steady with their helper hand to stabilize the base on the table.
  • Using the working hand, aim the craft stick tip at the sponge. Use a strong, controlled push to drive the stick and the attached yarn/bead completely through the resistant sponge.
  • Pull the stick back out, feeling the resistance and drag of the yarn as it comes through the wet sponge. Repeat this push and pull action until your child tires.

Safety Tip:
Beads and yarn are small materials. Constant, direct adult supervision is required to ensure these items are not ingested, as they pose a choking hazard.

Weighted Reel Rescue

Weighted Reel Rescue

Steps:

  • Adult Prep: Secure the plastic container firmly onto the center of the cardboard base using masking tape. This makes a stable reel base. Tape one craft stick across the container opening, creating a spinning reel handle. Tie the yarn to the handle and attach the bean bag to the loose end.
  • Place the cardboard base on the floor. Unwind the yarn completely, setting the bean bag target a few feet away. Hold the container base firmly with your helper hand to keep it from sliding.
  • Use your working hand to grip the reel handle. Begin twisting the stick repeatedly (forearm rotation) to slowly reel the yarn back in. Keep reeling until the heavy bean bag reaches the container. Repeat the reeling and unwinding.

Safety Tip:
Constant and direct adult supervision is required. Ensure the cardboard base is firmly anchored so it does not tip or slide when the child applies rotational force. Monitor the child’s body position to ensure they sit or kneel stably while working.

Sponge Edge Clip Match

Sponge Edge Clip Match

Steps:

  • Soak the sponge completely in water until it is heavy and dense. Wring it out slightly so it is damp, not dripping.
  • Place the damp sponge firmly inside the plastic container to keep it stable on the table.
  • Use markers to color the base of the clothespins with 3 to 4 bright colors (e.g., red, blue, green).
  • Draw small, matching colored dots around the thick perimeter of the damp sponge, spacing them out evenly.
  • Ask your child to hold the container steady with their non-dominant (helper) hand to stabilize the base.
  • Pick up a colored clothespin. Encourage them to squeeze it open using a strong finger pinch.
  • Carefully clip the pin onto the sponge edge, matching the colored pin to the colored dot target. Continue clipping until all the dots are covered.

Safety Tip:
Clothespins are small objects and pose a significant choking hazard for children who still place items in their mouths. Constant and direct adult supervision is required throughout this activity. Ensure the child only handles the materials as intended.

Paper Crumple Pin Push

Paper Crumple Pin Push

Steps:

  • Tear the construction paper into small pieces. Encourage your child to crumple these pieces tightly into dense, hard balls using both hands.
  • Spread a thick layer of glue or use masking tape loops to secure the crumpled paper balls onto the cardboard base, covering the surface completely. Let it dry to create a resistant layer.
  • Place the finished board on a stable table. Hold the cardboard base firmly steady with your helper hand. This is important for proximal stability.
  • Pick up one Q-Tip using a neat pincer grasp (thumb and pointer finger). Aim the Q-Tip at the resistant paper layer.
  • Challenge your child to use a strong, controlled push to pierce the Q-Tip straight through the dense paper. Feel the heavy work input!
  • Repeat this pushing action until the entire board is filled with Q-Tip ‘pins.’
  • Use a precise pincer grasp to place a pom-pom onto the top of each Q-Tip stem for decoration.

Safety Tip:
Constant and direct adult supervision is required. Q-Tips and small pom-poms are choking hazards for children who still place objects in their mouths. Ensure materials are used only as intended and collected immediately after play.