Shoulder Strength

The Under-Table Tissue Galaxy

Steps:

Tape a large piece of cardboard to the bottom of a stable surface at home.
Place loops of masking tape across the cardboard with the sticky side facing the floor.
Give your child several colorful squares of tissue paper to hold.
Ask them to lie down on their back under the cardboard.
Show them how to use their fingertips to crumple a paper square into a tight ball.
Challenge them to reach up and press the ball onto the sticky tape.
Keep adding more colors until the whole overhead board is a bright galaxy!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child while they are lying under furniture. Ensure the cardboard is taped securely so it does not fall. Keep all small paper balls away from the mouth to prevent choking.

Rainbow Ribbon Wall Weave

Girl weaving a red ribbon through slits in a cardboard panel taped to the wall at shoulder height

Steps:

Draw five long vertical lines on your cardboard.
Use your scissors to cut a slit along each line.
Make sure the slits are wide enough for the ribbon.
Use masking tape to stick the cardboard to a wall.
Put it at your child’s shoulder height.
Give your child a colorful ribbon.
Show them how to poke the ribbon through the first slit.
Help them weave it over and under across the slats.
Repeat this with all the different colors!

Safety Tip:
Adult supervision is needed while using scissors. Ensure the cardboard is taped tightly to the wall so it does not fall.

The Vertical Felt Leaf Clip

Steps:

Use markers to draw a thick, winding vine on a piece of cardboard.
Use your scissors to cut out the vine shape for your child.
Tape the vine shape vertically onto a wall at your child’s eye level.
Cut out several small leaf shapes from the colorful felt sheets.
Ask your child to use a pincer grasp to clip a leaf onto the vine.
Challenge them to reach across their body to place leaves on the opposite side.

Safety Tip:
Adult supervision is required while using scissors. Ensure the cardboard is taped firmly to prevent it from sliding.

The Sticky Ribbon Rainbow Reach

Steps:

Tape a large piece of cardboard vertically to a wall at your child’s eye level.
Cut five strips of colorful ribbon, each about six inches long.
Use masking tape to stick only the top end of each ribbon to the far left side of the cardboard.
Place five small pieces of tape, sticky side out, on the far right side of the cardboard.
Have your child stand in the center of the board.
Ask them to reach across with their right hand to grab a ribbon from the left.
They must pull it across and stick it to the matching tape on the right!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child during play to ensure the ribbon and tape are handled safely.

The Vertical Cloud Garden

Boy reaching up with tongs to drop a cotton ball into a paper cup taped to the wall

Steps:

Help your child pick four colorful paper cups for their wall garden.
Use your masking tape to stick the bottom of each cup to a wall.
Make sure the cups are at your child’s shoulder height to work those muscles.
Place a basket of soft cotton balls on the floor nearby.
Give your child the tongs and show them how to squeeze and pick up one ball.
Challenge them to reach up and drop the cotton ball into a cup!
Try using only their left hand for two cups and their right hand for the others.

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child during play to ensure they do not put cotton balls in their mouth.