Upper Body Strength - Page 3 of 5

Foil Ball Toss

Steps:

Set up the target: Place the Aluminium Foil Pan (or a sturdy Container) on the floor a few feet away. Use Masking Tape to mark a “Foil Launcher Line” where the child must stand.
Give the child a sheet of Aluminium Foil. Encourage them to use both hands to tear off a medium-sized piece. Tearing this resistant material is a great workout!
Challenge the child to crumple the foil piece into the tightest, smallest ball they can using only their fingertips, focusing on squeezing hard to create a dense ‘golf ball’.
Have the child stand behind the line and toss their heavy foil ball into the target pan. Practice aiming and grading the force of the throw. Count how many they make!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise this activity closely. Ensure the child fully crumples the foil pieces before tossing to avoid sharp edges. Collect all small foil balls after play to prevent choking hazards or ingestion by pets.

Foil Smash Target

Steps:

Set up the target zone: Tape a large piece of Construction Paper vertically to a door or wall at your child’s chest height. Use Masking Tape to create a fun target shape (like a star or circle) on the paper, making sure the sticky side faces OUT toward the child.
Prep the ‘ammo’: Give the child a sheet of Aluminium Foil. Encourage them to use both hands to tear the foil into small, postage-stamp-sized pieces. Tearing foil requires great strength!
Crumple and compress: Challenge the child to take each foil piece and squeeze it into the tightest, densest little ball (a ‘foil marble’) they can make, using only their fingertips. Place the finished balls in a Plastic Container.
Get into position: Have your child lie on their tummy on the floor (prone position) directly facing the sticky target. Their shoulders and elbows should be supporting their weight.
Smash the target: Ask the child to pick up one foil marble at a time and use a firm, whole-hand push to stick it onto the exposed sticky tape. Try to cover the entire target zone with heavy foil balls!

Safety Tip:
Due to the potential choking risk associated with small, dense foil balls, constant adult supervision is required. Ensure the child maintains a safe, stable prone position and does not lift their hips too high.

Frozen Dessert Relay

Preschool girl strengthens core and hand muscles by lying prone and scooping colorful pom-poms with an ice cream scoop.

Steps:

Place the empty Paper Cup about 12-18 inches in front of or slightly off to the side of your child (this will be the ‘sundae dish’).
Have your child lie on their tummy (prone position) on the floor, resting on their forearms. Place the Bowl filled with Pom-poms (‘ice cream flavors’) right next to their chest.
Challenge your child to use the Ice Cream Scoop to load one pom-pom, then lift their arm to reach and drop the pom-pom into the Paper Cup. Encourage them to keep their bellies on the floor while they reach and scoop!
When they have filled the cup, try moving the cup to the opposite side of their body to encourage a big cross-body reach (crossing midline) while maintaining their stable tummy position.

Safety Tip:
Adult supervision is required. Ensure the playing surface is clear and that your child maintains a comfortable prone position. Always monitor to prevent mouthing of small objects like pom-poms.

Ballgown Jewlery

This activity was inspired by our kiddo’s favorite princess, whose fairy godmother transformed a pumpkin to take her to a ball in a beautiful ballgown, with sparkling jewelry, and glass slippers.

Step 1: Place toy jewelry into each slot of an ice tray. You may use pieces of beaded-necklaces, toy diamonds or toy earrings. Ensure safety by eliminating choking hazards and supervising children at all times.
Step 2: Pour water into the ice tray.
Step 3: Freeze.
Step 4: Remove from the freezer and place the jewelry-filled ice cubes into a bowl.
Step 5: Squeeze a squirt bottle filled with water to melt ice cubes. You may add food coloring for an additional visual effect.
Step 6: Melt the ice cube until the jewelry is set free.
Step 7: Scoop the jewelry out with a spoon or scooping utensil to practice self-feeding skills.
Step 8: Count your sparkling pieces of jewelry!

Shoulder Strength Leopard Crawl

The leopard crawl is a military type-specific crawl that can increase shoulder strength by using the shoulder muscles to move forward.

Place an empty bucket at one side of the room and give the child a few small size balls (tennis balls, ping pong balls, cotton balls, etc.).

Ask the child to hold one ball in each hand while on his tummy and do a leopard crawl towards the empty bucket. The route to the bucket can go under a table, inside a tunnel, under chairs, or other obstacles for grading.

When the child reaches the bucket, ask the child to put the balls in it and crawl back to the start.

For proper crawl ensure the child is advancing an arm/elbow with the diagonal knee. When an elbow is placed forward, the diagonal knee is also placed forward, and then alternated with the other elbow and knee.