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Here are some activities that you can do with your child to facilitate the development of their hand skills while playing at home. These specific activity suggestions focus on giving the fingers we use for refined fine motor activities practice working together. They also increase hand strength and endurance. We work on these underlying skills in OT to prepare for higher level skills such as zipping and using tools such as markers, scissors and eating utensils.
Stick a piece of spaghetti into a ball of playdough. Then pour a bowl of o-shaped cereal. Grab a piece of cereal and thread it onto the spaghetti. You can shorten the spaghetti to make the activity easier.
Put pom-poms, small blocks, q-tips, or short strips of paper into a bottle. Encourage your child to hold the bottle with one hand while placing the objects in one at a time using the other hand.
Place a long piece of painter’s tape sticky side up on the table. Secure it down with two smaller pieces on each end. Next, place a handful of cotton balls or pom poms in a bowl and encourage your child to place them along the tape one at a time picking them up with just their fingers, not their fist.
Place strips of tape on a table, floor or tray. Encourage your child to use their fingers to peel the tape off.
