Everyday Play
Page 2
Give your child the right tools and materials that provide the “just right challenge.” A tool that is too difficult for your child to manipulate may discourage him and he may give up. An activity that is too simple for your child may cause your child to quickly lose interest in the task.
Preschoolers work best with tools that fit easily into their small hands. Select tools that will make it easy for a child to be successful so that the she can see her hard work pay off. For example, plastic scissors may appear to be a safe and appropriate option for some children, but plastic scissors are difficult to use when cutting thin paper. Using plastic scissors may frustrate your child. Being a careful observer as you watch your child play will help you gauge her interest level and skill and modify the activity so she can be successful.
The “Write” Stuff
Writing and Drawing Utensils: Your child’s grasp of a writing utensil is important because it has an impact on your child’s handwriting skill. By the end of kindergarten, most children will have established a particular method for grasping their writing tools. These grasps are habit-based and are very difficult to change once a child practices it long enough. Using the appropriate size and type of writing utensil will help your child develop and practice an efficient pencil grasp that will carry over into elementary school.
For three-year-olds or inexperienced preschoolers, provide large writing tools, such as thick chalk, pencils, crayons, and paintbrushes; bulb paintbrushes; and easy-grip (round-top) crayons. These “thick” utensils are easier for children to grasp in their small hands. Large markers are especially effective for beginning writers because large markers move smoothly across the paper and are easy to hold.
Some four-year-olds and most five-year-olds have developed enough foundational skills for writing that they are ready to use standard-sized writing utensils. Adult-sized pencils, golf pencils, thin markers, and small paintbrushes will encourage a more effective grasp. This means children will start to hold the writing tool with fewer fingers, as well as start to separate their thumb and index finger while writing. Do not throw away short pencils and broken crayons; use them to help a more mature preschooler use his thumb, index, and middle finger to grasp a pencil.
Scissors: Small, round-tipped scissors are typically the best choice for preschoolers. Select scissors that have small holes for a young child’s fingers and that are not longer than 5”. School-style scissors, which both right- or left-handed children can use, work well. Make sure that the scissors are sharp enough to cut paper easily and open and close smoothly.
Cutting Materials: For beginning or less-skilled cutters, use heavyweight paper, such as index cards, magazine inserts or junk-mail cards, construction paper, or paper bags. Heavier paper is less floppy, more stable, and will allow the child more control for cutting.
Playdough is another heavy material that works well for snipping with scissors. Preschoolers with a moderate skill level can cut regular-weight paper. More advanced preschoolers may cut light-weight materials, such as foil, wax paper, and tissue paper. Non-paper items, such as yarn and fabric, are the most challenging to cut—save these until your child is skilled at cutting regular paper.
Glue: Large glue sticks may be easier for young preschoolers to hold in their hands. More experienced preschoolers can use smaller glue sticks that can apply glue to the surface more accurately. Dipping craft sticks or cotton swabs into a small container of glue (for example, a small paper cup) may be useful for some activities. Once your preschooler develops enough hand strength to squeeze with control, she can begin to squeeze school glue bottles in fine motor activities, which is a great way for her to build hand strength.
Stringing/Lacing: Stringing and lacing activities require good eye-hand coordination. Typically, young children learn to string objects first. Once they are confident in their stringing abilities, children are often more willing to attempt lacing activities, such as lacing cards or boards. When selecting materials for stringing or lacing, consider the size of the holes in the object and the length of the hard tip of the string or lace. For young preschoolers, it helps to start stringing objects that have large holes and that the children can hold easily. String that is stiff and has a long, hard tip will be easier for small hands to manipulate. Rope with duct tape stabilizing the end, thick shoelaces, or long straws also work well. As your child develops more skill, he can begin stringing very small objects, such as small jewelry beads, onto plastic string or thread.
Table and Chair: A sturdy table and a chair that is the appropriate height are important. A chair should allow the young child’s knees to bend at a 90° angle. When your child is sitting in the chair, she should be able to place her feet firmly on the ground. The table should be a height that allows the child’s elbows to bend and rest lightly on the tabletop. Placing a telephone book or box under your child’s feet is a simple way to provide your child with the necessary balancing support. Standing at a table is another good way for your child to develop her sense of balance as she completes various fine motor activities.
Vertical Surfaces: Writing on vertical surfaces—such as an easel—will help your child develop a good grasp and learn the appropriate wrist position for drawing and writing. Three-year-olds should draw or paint on a vertical surface every day. Drawing on a vertical surface tends to encourage the proper formation of shapes and letters.
If you do not have an easel in your home, let your child use a sturdy 3” three-ring binder as a table-top easel or set up a binder for your child to use while lying on the floor (see instructions on page 71). Another simple solution is to tape or clip paper to the wall to create a vertical drawing and writing surface.
Low-Cost, High-Impact Materials and Tools
In most fine motor activities, it is a good idea to use materials that are cost effective and environmentally friendly. Materials such as old newspaper, magazines, and greeting cards can be effectively re-used in fun and interesting ways. With the appropriate tools and materials, young children are more likely to develop self-confidence and a sense of pride about achieving independence in the particular fine motor activity. Here are some items to use with your preschooler at home:
• Individual chalk board and eraser
• Large and small sticks of chalk
• Child-safe scissors
• Clay and/or playdough
• Dressing dolls with buttons, snaps, and zippers
• Easel
• Finger puppets
• Glue sticks and school glue
• Individual-size, dry-erase boards and washable, dry-erase markers
• Household items to be used with glue (such as cotton balls, cotton swabs, sponges, pieces of thread, yarn or string, pieces of fabric, pie tins or paper towel rolls)
• Lacing cards/boards and laces
• Laminated paper for pre-writing and/or letter tracing
• Materials to paint, draw, and write on (construction paper, newsprint, white paper, bubble wrap, foil, wrapping paper, and so on)
• Materials for stringing (large and small beads, string, yarn, shoelaces, and thin rope).
• Nuts, bolts, and screws of various sizes.
• Pegboards and pegs
• Puzzles (some with knobs)
• Rubber stamps and stamp pads
• Stickers
• Tongs of various sizes
• Tools for painting (large and very small paintbrushes, cotton balls, feathers, turkey basters, paint rollers, and sponges)
• Writing utensils, such as large and small crayons, pencils (adult-size and golf-size), chalk, (large and small) and washable markers (thin and fat) Safety Note: Always supervise young children when using all materials on this list.
Chapter 3
I’m Three! Look What My Hands Can Do!
Your three-year-old child is growing and developing new skills every day! You can use this time of incredible change to nurture your child’s fine motor skills and give her the foundation s
he needs to eventually learn how to hold a pencil, tie her shoes, and write her name. At three, your child is ready for activities that build strength in her upper body, refine her grasp, and help her learn how to use two hands together (bilateral hand skills).
At age three, your child may be interested in learning how to:
• Copy a circle
• Copy an accurate cross
• Thread large beads
• Build a tower of 10 1” blocks
• Tear paper
• Cut on a straight line
• Build a train with blocks (one block on top and long line behind)
• Copy a square
• Draw and paint with a variety of large tools like paintbrushes and markers)
• Put together simple, three- to four-piece puzzles
• Use glue (with supervision)
• Unbutton large buttons
• Unzip zippers
• Feed herself using a spoon and fork
• Undress and dress with some assistance
Have fun doing the activities on the following pages with your child. They will help her begin to feel confident in her ability to use her hands and will prepare her to try new skills as she gets older.
Marble Painting
Develops your child’s ability to use two hands together (bilateral hand skills) and improves his eye-hand coordination.
What You Need
round, 9” pan or small box without lid | marble | paper | paint | spoon
What to Do
• Cut paper to line the bottom of the pan.
• Show your child how to dip a marble into paint with a spoon and then place the marble inside the pan.
• Have him hold the pan with two hands and maneuver it so the marble rolls the paint onto the paper in an interesting pattern.
More Fun!
• Experiment with different-sized marbles and different types of paper.
• See if he can maneuver the pan so that the painted marble leaves a big circle on the paper.
Moving Bubbles
Develops your child’s ability to use two hands together (bilateral hand skills) and helps her learn how to pour liquids.
What You Need
clear, plastic lid of pie shell | measuring cup or cup for pouring water | oil | food coloring
What to Do
• Give your child a clear, plastic pie-shell lid, and help her use the measuring cup to pour equal parts of water and oil into the plastic lid. The two liquids should just cover the bottom of the lid.
• Let her choose some food coloring and help her drip four or five drops of the food coloring around the plastic lid.
• Show her how to hold the edges of the plate carefully with both hands and move it slowly from side to side.
• Observe how the colorful bubbles move around the plate.
Toy Workshop
Increases your child’s hand strength and develops your child’s ability to use two hands together (bilateral hand skills)
What You Need
toy hammers, screwdrivers, and mallets | large nuts and bolts that fit together | small pieces of PVC pipe and connectors | heavy-duty plastic or wooden toys | broken toys
What to Do
• As you play with your child, show him how to use the tools and how to put various materials like nuts and bolts together.
• Have fun building new toys or “repairing” broken toys.
More Fun!
• Add an empty toolbox to give your child more opportunities to sort tools and materials.
Floor Drawing
Develops the foundations for your child’s fine motor skills and increases her upper-body strength
What You Need
large sheets of paper | tape (recommended) | cardboard or other hard surface to write on (if doing the activity on carpet) | large markers, crayons, and/or paintbrushes
What to Do
• Clear some space so your child can spread out on the floor. If you are using a carpeted area, make sure you have a length of cardboard or some other hard material that she can use for a drawing surface.
• If you can, tape the paper to the floor or cardboard.
• Give her markers, crayons, and other drawing tools, and invite her to lie down on her stomach to create her masterpiece. Offer small pillows or blankets for her to put under her elbows to keep her comfortable on the hard floor.
More Fun!
• Try this activity outdoors to inspire your child to draw pictures of nature.
Styrofoam Construction
Develops your child’s finger strength
What You Need
pieces of Styrofoam | duct or packing tape | golf tees | toy hammers or small mallets
What to Do
• To control a potentially messy situation, cover the outside edges of the Styrofoam with tape.
• Encourage your child to use the hammers and mallets to build something with the Styrofoam and golf tees.
• Demonstrate how he can push golf tees into the Styrofoam with his fingers and with the hammer.
Safety Note: Always observe closely to ensure your child uses the hammer and golf tees safely.
More Fun!
• Give your child large markers so he can decorate his building.
• Ask him to see how tall he can build his Styrofoam building.
Corn Picking
Enhances your child’s pincer grasp and improves her eye-hand coordination
What You Need
Indian corn | large plastic container | sand toys, such as small buckets and shovels, plastic spoons, and large funnels
What to Do
• Put the Indian corn in a plastic container and show your child how to “pick” the corn kernels off the ears.
• After she removes all of the corn kernels, she can have fun using the sand toys and her fingers to scoop and pour the kernels.
• Encourage her to try to pick up individual kernels, which will help her improve her pincer grasp—an important pre-writing skill.
More Fun!
• Add small plastic bottles, such as medicine bottles or travel-size bottles, to the bucket. Show your child how to fill the bottles with kernels, put on the lids, and use them as shakers.
Squeezy Water Play
Improves your child’s grasp strength
What You Need
turkey basters and eyedroppers | sponges in a variety of sizes, such as makeup sponges, kitchen sponges, natural sponges, or large cleaning sponges | large plastic container with water | plastic cups and bottles
What to Do
• Show your child how to fill turkey basters, eyedroppers, and sponges with water. Encourage him to fill up cups or bottles, dump out the water, and fill them up again.
More Fun!
• Add liquid soap to the water to add a new dimension to the activity.
• To really focus on his pincer grasp, cut the sponges into small 1”-2” pieces.
Stamp Art
Improves your child’s grasp and increases finger strength
What You Need
paper | variety of stamps with small handles | washable inkpads | large washable markers
What to Do
• Give your child paper, stamps, and inkpads and show her how to use them.
• When she is interested, show her how to use a marker to color the stamp rather than using the inkpad.
• Encourage her to explore different methods of using stamps to make art.
• Talk with your child about her creations.
More Fun!
• Make soap stamps by cutting small pieces of soap in half and carving out shapes or designs (adult only). Ink will adhere to most soap, but Ivory® soap works well.
Vertical Board Play
Refines your child’s grasp and helps develop his proper forearm posture and wrist positioning
What You Need
felt board and small felt pieces | magnetic board and small magnetic
pieces such as shapes, animals, or letters | easel with tray or wall
What to Do
• Place the magnetic board or felt board in a vertical position by putting it on an easel or propping it securely against a wall.
• Encourage your child to play with the magnetic pieces on the vertical board. Ask him to make up a story with the animals or build a tower out of the different shapes. This will help him develop appropriate forearm and wrist positioning and grasp.
More Fun!
• Read a story and ask your child to pick appropriate pieces and use them to re-enact the story on the vertical board.
Mini-Muffin Sorting
Improves your child’s grasp of small objects and strengthens her eye-hand coordination
What You Need
mini-muffin pans | small items to sort, such as buttons, tiny pegs, stones, marbles, coins, or paper clips
What to Do
• Set out the various small items and challenge your child to sort the items into matching groups and place each group into a different mini-muffin cup (for example, putting all marbles together).
More Fun!
• Sort the objects using other criteria, such as color, shape, or weight.