What to Do
• Cover the inside bottom of a shoebox with contact paper and coat the bottom of the box with white sand until the sand is ½” deep (adult-only step).
• Encourage your child to write letters in the “sandbox” using his index finger. If he presses his finger hard enough, he will be able to see the colored contact paper under the sand.
• Show him how to shake the sandbox gently from side to side or smooth the sand with his hand to erase his letters.
More Fun!
• Add several drops of water to the sand or mist the sand with a spray bottle to moisten it. The slight increase in resistance in the sand will build more finger strength, as he continues to form letters with his fingers.
• Provide tools such as a craft stick, drinking straw, or chopstick for him to practice writing in the sand.
Sandpaper Writing
Develops your child’s grasp strength and engages her in tactile pre-writing experiences
What You Need
sandpaper of various grits (coarse, medium, and fine grit) | plain paper (copy or drawing) | writing tools, such as golf pencils, crayons, or thin markers | letters or words for children to copy
What to Do
• Place the plain paper on top of the sandpaper.
• Ask your child which letters or words she wants to copy.
• As she writes on the paper, the sandpaper will add extra resistance to the writing and texture to the writing experience.
• If you use different grits of sandpaper, talk about how they feel different and how the writing looks different.
More Fun!
• Set out chalk for your child to write with directly on the sandpaper. Then encourage your child to use her fingers to erase the letters.
Write a Little Note
Helps your child use a developmentally appropriate
grasp of writing tools and practice using small
finger movements for writing
What You Need
small sticky notes (from 1”-3” square) | golf pencils or short adult pencils (less than 3” long)
What to Do
• Give your child several sticky notes and a small pencil.
• Talk about the different “notes” that people write throughout the day, such as phone messages, “to-do” lists, wish lists, or notes to friends.
• Encourage him to write a little note and read it to you.
More Fun!
• Encourage your child to draw a “teeny tiny” picture on a sticky note. Your child can use markers or crayons to decorate several sticky notes and then stick them to a larger piece of paper to form a sticky note collage.
Make Your Own Puzzle
Encourages your child to create art using scissors
What You Need
thick paper, such as oak tag, card stock, or poster board | thin and thick markers | child-safe scissors | resealable plastic bags
What to Do
• Give your child a piece of thick paper, no larger than 8 ½” x 11”. If you are using poster board, turn it to the non-glossy side.
• Explain how you are going to make a puzzle:
• Use markers to draw a picture or design that will fill up the entire piece of paper.
• Cut the picture into 8-12 puzzle pieces.
• Put the puzzle together.
• Make sure your child uses ample color in her pictures and designs. This will make the puzzle easier to put together.
• When she has finished her picture, help her cut the paper into puzzle pieces, ensuring that the pieces are not too small to manipulate.
• Encourage her to practice putting her puzzle together.
• Store the puzzle in a resealable plastic bag and label it with a short description (for example, “my house” or “rainbow”).
More Fun!
• Add small rulers and/or templates to the materials. She can use them to draw lines or make designs for her puzzles.
Animal Masks
Develops your child’s ability to use scissors and gives him experience with drawing tools
What You Need
thick, white paper such as construction paper or card stock (8 ½” x 11”) | variety of drawing tools such as colored pencils, thin markers, small crayons, glitter pens, or paint pens | child-safe scissors | 1-hole punch | yarn or string
What to Do
• Cut out a mask using this pattern as a guide (adult-only step).
• Ask your child to use a pencil, marker, or crayon to trace around the mask on the thick paper.
• Give him various drawing utensils to decorate the mask and create an animal face.
• Help him cut out his mask, if necessary. Be sure the eyes are well positioned so that he can see.
• Guide him as he uses the 1-hole punch to place one hole on either side of the mask.
• Tie yarn or string through the holes to fit the mask to his face.
More Fun!
• Ask him questions about the animal he has “become,” such as, “What sound do you make?” or “How do you walk?”
• Act out a simple story using the mask, and make additional masks for other characters in the story.
Paper Dolls
Develops your child’s eye-hand coordination and bilateral hand skills
What You Need
thick paper such as card stock or posterboard | child-safe scissors | scissors (adult-use only) | variety of paper, including paper with designs, such as scrapbook paper, greeting cards, construction paper, foil, and sandpaper | scrap materials , including yarn, beads, buttons, cotton fabric, and sequins | glue | small pieces of chalk, crayons, markers, or stubby pencils | resealable plastic storage bags
What to Do
• Cut out paper dolls using this pattern as a guide (adult-only step). The dolls should be 6”-8” long (see next page for pattern).
• Give your child a variety of materials and glue to decorate the dolls.
• Suggest that she add faces and hair to her dolls using glue, yarn, beads, buttons, crayons, and markers. Allow the dolls to dry.
• Remove the glue from the work area, and give her various pieces of paper and cotton fabric.
• Talk about how to make clothes for her dolls. She can make several different clothing items to dress her dolls.
• Encourage your child to use the chalk, crayons, markers, or pencils to draw patterns for the doll’s clothing. Demonstrate how to trace around the dolls on the paper or fabric. Cut out the clothing.
• Invite her to dress her dolls by placing the dolls flat on the tabletop and covering them with the clothing cutouts. It’s best not to glue the clothing to the dolls so that she can change their outfits.
Paper Mobile
Develops your child’s scissor skills and eye-hand coordination
What You Need
thin paper (cut in squares) in solid colors, such as copy paper, tracing paper, or wrapping paper | pencils and child-safe scissors
What to Do
• Cut paper into 6” x 6” or 8” x 8” squares (adult-only step).
• Model for your child how to fold his piece of paper (assist as necessary).
• Fold the paper in half, with opposite corners touching, to form a triangle.
• Fold the paper in half again, to form a smaller triangle.
• Draw alternating lines, about ½” apart on paper triangle, as shown in the illustration (adult-only step). Encourage your child to cut directly on the lines, making sure not to cut all the way across the paper. ● Gently open the paper to form a “Paper Mobile.”
More Fun!
• Staple a string to the top of the mobile to hang it.
• Staple two “Paper Mobiles” together at each corner and then gently pull apart to make accordion-like paper art.
Snowflakes
Helps your child learn to coordinate use of two hands in play
What You Need
white paper (cut
into squares) that is good for folding, such as copy paper or drawing paper | child-safe scissors
What to Do
• Cut pieces of paper into 4” x 4” to 8” x 8” squares (adult-only step).
• Demonstrate the following method for folding paper and help your child, as needed. Draw lines on the paper to help her know where to fold.
• Fold the paper in half, with opposite corners touching, to form a triangle.
• Fold the paper in half again, to form a smaller triangle.
• Show her a method for snipping or cutting the edges of the paper triangle.
• Open the paper to reveal a snowflake.
• Use waxed paper or foil wrapping paper to make unusual snowflakes.
• Give her glitter glue and sparkles to decorate her snowflakes.
Lace Up Those Shoes
Develops your child’s lacing and tying skills, self-care skills, and eye-hand coordination
What You Need
variety of adult or large children’s shoes that lace, such as tennis shoes, dress shoes, boots, or unusual shoes | various shoelaces with good tips, including leather, fabric, and elastic
What to Do
• Remove the laces from several pairs of shoes (adult-only step).
• Challenge your child to pair up the shoes with the correct laces.
• Show him how to lace the shoes, using verbal directions, such as:
• Start at the two holes near the toe of the shoe.
• Pull the shoelace through each hole until the two sides of the lace are equal.
• String the lace through each hole.
• Help him hold a shoe in his lap or put the shoe on his foot.
• Watch him lace and tie the shoes and help him as needed
• After he finishes lacing his shoes, encourage him to put on a fashion show and walk around in the shoes he laced.
More Fun!
• There are various ways to lace shoes. Encourage your child to make his own lacing patterns.
Clay Sculptures: Self-Portrait
Improves your child’s hand skills and gives her a chance to experiment with a variety of tools in play
What You Need
modeling clay | wax paper | variety of tools, including rolling pins, stylus (piece of wood shaped like a pencil for carving clay), craft sticks, toothpicks, child-safe scissors, plastic knives, and small mallets | mirror(s) (hand-held or standing) | air-tight storage containers
What to Do
• Talk with your child about how artists make sculptures. Go to your local library and ask the librarian to help you find books about sculptors, both classic and modern, for example: Michaelangelo, Rodin, Henry Moore, Alexander Calder, and Ruth Asawa. Share these books with your child.
• Place a piece of modeling clay on wax paper, and show her the various tools she can use to create her sculpture.
• Encourage her to make a self-portrait.
• Suggest that she look at herself in the mirror before and during the process.
• This project may continue over several days. Store the clay in air-tight containers overnight, or cover the sculptures with moist towels so that the clay does not harden. Resealable plastic bags or plastic wrap also work.
Magic Rocket
Develops your child’s confidence in using his
hands to construct objects
What You Need
paper towel rolls | wrapping paper rolls | paper plates | child-safe scissors | tape (masking, duct, or electrical) | construction paper | various materials for decorating (markers, crayons, star stickers, or paint)
What to Do
• Set out the materials on a work surface.
• Show your child a picture or read a book about a rocket or spaceship. Two good choices are Roaring Rockets (Amazing Machines) by Tony Mitton and Ant Parker and On the Launch Pad: A Counting Book about Rockets by Michael Dahl.
• Encourage your child to build his own “Magic Rocket” by taping materials together. Paper plates can be cut in half to make wings or a propeller. Use the construction paper to make a cone-shaped tip of the rocket ship.
• Help by holding materials or cutting tape, as needed.
• Once he finishes constructing his “Magic Rocket,” he can decorate it with markers, crayons, or paint.
More Fun!
• Create a telescope. Tape two or three paper towel rolls end to end to form a long telescope.
• Create binoculars. Cut a paper towel roll in half. Tape the two parts side to side to form binoculars.
Nature Prints
Develops your child’s ability to grasp tools effectively
What You Need
collection of objects from outdoors (flat objects with texture work best) such as leaves, bark, grass, flowers, rocks, or shells | thin, white paper such as typing, tracing, or onionskin paper | small crayons and pieces of crayons
What to Do
• Talk to your child about print making.
• Show her the method of print making by placing a flat object under a piece of paper, and use a piece of crayon to rub across the paper.
• Discuss the collection of nature items.
• Encourage her to explore the objects and make her own prints.
More Fun!
• Talk to your child about some of the reasons why certain objects do not make a print. Encourage your child to collect items from around the room to discover if they will make a print.
Off to Work I Go!
Develops your child’s small muscle dexterity and eye-hand coordination and gives him confidence in his fine motor abilities
What You Need
briefcase or messenger bag | paper used at work, such as address books, notepads, sticky notes, and memo pads | variety of writing utensils, such as pencils, thin markers, and washable pens | 1-hole punch, ruler, tape, and glue sticks | cell phone (play or non-functioning) | calculator
What to Do
• Create a briefcase for your child.
• Talk to your child about the function of a briefcase and the things that are found inside it.
• He can explore the briefcase and use the tools in play.
More Fun!
• Put a wallet or coin purse with coins inside the briefcase to add another level of learning and imaginative play.
Painted Flower Pots
Helps your child manipulate tools in play, learn to create art with a variety of materials, and use an effective grasp of tools
What You Need
terra cotta flowerpots | acrylic paints | small paintbrushes | foam stamps | clear acrylic spray | vinyl tablecloth, shower curtain, or newspaper to keep work surface clean | paint shirts for children
What to Do
• Give your child a flowerpot and set out the decorative materials. Invite her to decorate it.
• Spray the painted pot with clear acrylic spray (adult-only step) and allow it to dry.
More Fun!
• Fill the pot with a flower or plant or ask your child if she would like to make “Paper Flowers” to place inside (see page 91).
Treasure Box
Strengthens your child’s grasp
What You Need
jewelry boxes or small boxes with lids | various small items for decorating boxes such as sequins, tiny beads, and buttons | small paintbrushes or cotton swabs | glue | coins
What to Do
• Encourage your child to use paintbrushes or cotton swabs to paint his treasure box with glue.
• After he finishes painting it, he can decorate it.
• Separate the box lid and bottom to let them dry separately.
• When the box and lid are dry, put the lid back on the box, and then give your child several coins to place in the box.
• Tell him to “bury the treasure” by hiding the treasure box somewhere in the room or nearby outside. You become a treasure hunter as you try to find the buried treasure.
• Take turn
s hiding the box and searching for it.
More Fun!
• Provide paper and markers or pencils for him to draw “treasure maps” to help the treasure hunter find the hidden treasure.
Chapter 6
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions from Parents
When should my child have an established “handedness?”
Most three- and four-year-olds will have an obvious hand preference. However, as children are developing their bilateral (both) hand skills during the fifth year of life, they may alternate use of hands. Most children have a well-established hand preference for fine motor activities by age six.
Should my preschooler use “fat” or “skinny” pencils?
Three-year-old children should typically use large writing and drawing utensils. Their small fingers and less-developed grasps will work best with bigger tools like large markers and paintbrushes. Give your four- or five-year-old child a variety of smaller writing utensils such as normal-sized pencils, golf pencils, small crayons, thin markers, and small paintbrushes. These little tools will promote a better grasp and improved coordination.
Everyday Play Page 7