Paper clips
Hole puncher
Learn to count while working on in-hand manipulation and motor planning skills. Children count paper clips then need to figure out how to attach them to each other by hooking them on. This can be challenging but with practice, they get to motor plan correctly and work on dexterity.
By linking paper clips to each other, children work on counting skills as well as fine motor skills/ dexterity.
• Numbers 1 to 8 Practice Cards PDF (cut into cards)
https://missmancyslittlelearners.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Number-cards-1-to-8.pdf
• 8 Clothespins with numbers 1 to 8 written on them.
• Pencil
By removing sight, we ask children to use their sense of touch to figure out where the clothespins are located on their clothing. They then name the number that they find, squeeze the clothespin to attach it to the correct number card and practice writing or tracing that number.
This activity aims at improving tactile discrimination by looking for clothespins with the sense of touch only. Then squeezing the clothespins improves finger strength and encourages the use of neat pincer grasp on the writing tool. Children then practice copying or tracing numbers.
• Beads
• Play dough
• Pipe cleaner pieces
• Wiggle eyes
• Strips of paper
• Scissors
Children pick a card and build a bug according to directions given on the card.
This is a great way for children to learn how to follow directions. It involves counting skills, snipping skills and using our little fingers to manipulate objects.
Clothes pins are a great tool to use when learning letters. In this activity, your child will learn how to properly grasp a clothespin and improve letter recognition by matching uppercase letters with lowercase letters to create rays of the sun.
Clothes pins are on the list for OT favorite tools. This tool is great for strengthening the little fingers and improving bilateral coordination. Clothes can be used in many different ways however; one must position their fingers correctly to work on specific muscles of the fingers.
Chopsticks are not only for eating, they can be used for building fine motor skills. In this activity, children will learn how to properly grasp chopsticks and use them to pick up small erasers. We will then use the small erasers to create a pattern.
Using chopsticks can help improve fine motor skills, eye-hand coordination, strengthen the hand and little fingers, and improve visual perception. Use different kinds of patterns to find the “just right” challenge for your child.
Pipe cleaner
Cheerios
Ribbon
In this activity, your child will learn how to string cheerios onto a pipe cleaner. This video will teach your child how to properly string beads with their little fingers.
Beading is a fun way to work on improving fine motor skills such as pincer grasp, eye-hand coordination, and bilateral coordination. Bilateral Coordination requires children to use both sides of the body at the same time in a controlled and organized manner. Children will learn to use their thumb and index finger when beading.
Tweezers
Colored pompoms
Children learn to match colors in a fun way! They hop, skip or jump to pick up pompoms using tweezers. By holding the neat pincer grasp on the tweezers while they get back to the bunnies, this strengthens their little fingers.
Younger children learn their colors however this activity is combined with gross motor movements as well as hand/finger strength using tweezers.
• Play doh
• Popsicle Sticks
• Blocks
• Stickers
Today is all about being grateful for our homes. Children pick a card from the stack and practice making a house with each of these mediums.
This involves different motor planning skills depending on the medium used.
Let’s practice counting by beading a flower! In this activity, our child will learn how to string beads onto a pipe cleaner and improve their counting skills. This video will teach your child how to properly string beads with their little fingers.
Beading is a fun way to work on improving fine motor skills (pincer grasp), eye-hand coordination, and bilateral coordination. Children will learn to use their thumb and index finger when beading.
All activities are designed to be used to supplement treatment facilitated by a parent or trained professional. These resources are not a replacement for therapy and are not intended to treat disorders. They are for educational and exploration purposes only. Consult with a health care professional for treatment for developmental delays/challenges.
Beyond ASD is a non-profit organization whose mission is to raise awareness to a new way of experiencing Autism and it begins with awareness because Awareness Shifts the Definition!