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.

Heavy Roll Cotton Sweep

Heavy Roll Cotton Sweep

Steps:

  • Adult: Fill an empty paper roll halfway with dry rice.
  • Use several layers of masking tape to seal the ends.
  • Child: Stand up and hold the roll with both hands.
  • Place a few cotton balls on a smooth floor.
  • Use the heavy roll to push the balls toward the basket.
  • Try to keep the roll straight so the balls don’t escape.
  • Reach the basket to win the game!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your toddler during play. Small rice grains are a choking hazard. Ensure the tape is very secure.

Balloon Powered Foil Boat

Balloon Powered Foil Boat

Steps:

  • Fill your foil pan halfway with cool water.
  • Place the pan on a flat table.
  • Take a straw and a balloon from your kit.
  • Slide the balloon neck over one straw end.
  • Wrap masking tape around the neck to seal it.
  • Blow through the straw to fill the balloon.
  • Pinch the straw shut with your fingers.
  • Put the straw boat into the pan.
  • Let go and watch the boat zoom!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise children around water and balloons. Broken balloon pieces are a choking hazard for younger children.

The Foil Pan Water Bridge

The Foil Pan Water Bridge

Steps:

  • Place your pan on a flat table and fill it halfway with cool water.
  • Hand your child several colorful clothespins to hold.
  • Show them how to squeeze and clip the pins onto the rim of the pan.
  • Space the pins out in pairs across from each other.
  • Ask your child to rest a craft stick across each pair of pins to create a bridge.
  • Once the bridges are ready, give them a few fuzzy pom-poms.
  • Challenge your child to use their pincer fingers to set a pom-pom on a bridge.
  • They must be very careful to keep the bridges from falling into the water!
  • See how many pom-poms they can balance before the pan is full of bridges.

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child during water play to prevent any risk of slipping or spilling. Small pom-poms can be a choking hazard, so keep them away from younger siblings.

Cosmic Pincer Star Weave

Cosmic Pincer Star Weave

Steps:

  • Cut a large, sturdy square out of your cardboard using the scissors.
  • Use your markers to draw a large, bright star in the very center of the cardboard.
  • Decorate the area around the star with small planet and galaxy stickers.
  • Use the hole puncher to create a ring of holes all the way around the outside edge of your cardboard square.
  • Cut a long piece of yarn and wrap a small bit of masking tape around one end to make a stiff ‘needle.’
  • Tape the other end of the yarn securely to the back of the cardboard.
  • Challenge your child to ‘weave’ the shooting star by pushing the yarn through a hole from the back to the front.
  • Have them pull the yarn across the center star and push it into a hole on the opposite side.
  • Continue this crisscross pattern until every hole has been used and the star is caught in a colorful yarn web!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child when they are using scissors or a hole puncher. Ensure the yarn length is safe for play and collected after the activity.

The Cotton Ball Scoop Race

The Cotton Ball Scoop Race

Steps:

  • Place a large bowl filled with cotton balls on a table in front of your child.
  • Set an empty basket a short distance away on the same table.
  • Hand your child a spoon and show them how to scoop up one cotton ball.
  • Encourage them to carry the ‘cloud’ on the spoon without letting it fall.
  • Ask them to drop the cotton ball gently into the empty basket.
  • Challenge them to fill the entire basket as fast as they can!
  • To add a challenge, move the basket further away to encourage longer reaching.

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child during play to ensure they use the spoon safely. Keep all materials away from the mouth to prevent any risk.