FINE-MOTOR ACTIVITIES
Hand and finger strength:
Improving hand and finger strength is important for many things in your child’s life. Using utensils to eat, brushing teeth, dialing a phone number, and writing to name just a few. To improve hand and grip strength and endurance is a biomechanical approach. This activity addresses a lack of finger strength, pen or pencil movement control to write legibly and the endurance to write in class when taking notes.
Using Theraputty and ball squeezing will increase the student’s finger strength. Your child will stretch theraputty out numerous times to find objects that are hiding in there. This will create repetition which will help increase your child’s endurance. Ball squeezes will increase in finger strength as each ball has a different amount of resistance. The ball squeezes will increase endurance through repetition, for example, squeezing the ball 3 sets of 10 equaling 30 times.
The goals of this activity include: increasing finger strength to improve your child’s grasp on the pen or pencil, to refine control of movement while writing to make it more legible. This work and development will improve endurance.
This is an activity that will generally be worked on in school with a therapist.
How to ‘Improve grip and grasp’
Improving hand and finger strength is important for many things in your child’s life. Using utensils to eat, brushing teeth, dialing a phone number, and writing to name just a few. To improve hand and grip strength and endurance is a biomechanical approach. This activity addresses a lack of finger strength, pen or pencil movement control to write legibly and the endurance to write in class when taking notes.
Using Theraputty and ball squeezing will increase the student’s finger strength. Your child will stretch theraputty out numerous times to find objects that are hiding in there. This will create repetition which will help increase your child’s endurance. Ball squeezes will increase in finger strength as each ball has a different amount of resistance. The ball squeezes will increase endurance through repetition, for example, squeezing the ball 3 sets of 10 equaling 30 times.
The goals of this activity include: increasing finger strength to improve your child’s grasp on the pen or pencil, to refine control of movement while writing to make it more legible. This work and development will improve endurance.
This is an activity that will generally be worked on in school with a therapist.
How to ‘Improve grip and grasp’
- This activity is performed sitting at a table. The therapist will use hand sized therapy balls, theraputty and pennies or small pegs.
- The child will be squared at the table, feet on the ground and sitting up straight to promote good positioning. This should take place during the morning or early afternoon so the student is not too tired.
- Student will be repeating the following exercises: therapist will demonstrate to your child to manipulate a hand sized therapy ball in their palm and fingers. This is a warm up exercise. Next the therapist will introduce the theraputty, again your child will manipulate this in their hand. The therapist will then hide pennies or small pegs in the putty for your child to retrieve using a pinch grasp.
- The therapist can change the resistance of the therapy ball e.g. the black one provides the most. The number of pegs or pennies in the putty can be increased. More repetitions of these exercises will challenge endurance.
- The therapist can change the resistance of the therapy ball e.g. the yellow one provides the least. The pegs can be bigger or the number reduced, instead of pennies the therapist could use nickels or quarters. Less repetitions of these exercises will be less strain on the child.
Crossword puzzle on the computer:
Completing a crossword puzzle presents many challenges. This is a great way to address a variety of things that your child may find difficult. First and foremost your child needs to be able to access the website to find and select the puzzle they want to complete. They need to be able to read and understand the clue to answer the question, and type the letters in the boxes.
This activity requires your child to position themselves properly at the desk, and manipulate the keys with their fingers. Manipulation is a fine-motor skill. The goal of this activity is for your child to type accurately using a keyboard.
This activity considers the interests of your child, the crossword puzzle could be replaced by another word game on the computer. Using the computer is a key skill required in school, computers are used in other environments such as at home.
How to play ‘crossword puzzles online’
Is it too easy?
Too much of a challenge?
Completing a crossword puzzle presents many challenges. This is a great way to address a variety of things that your child may find difficult. First and foremost your child needs to be able to access the website to find and select the puzzle they want to complete. They need to be able to read and understand the clue to answer the question, and type the letters in the boxes.
This activity requires your child to position themselves properly at the desk, and manipulate the keys with their fingers. Manipulation is a fine-motor skill. The goal of this activity is for your child to type accurately using a keyboard.
This activity considers the interests of your child, the crossword puzzle could be replaced by another word game on the computer. Using the computer is a key skill required in school, computers are used in other environments such as at home.
How to play ‘crossword puzzles online’
- You can search for crossword puzzles online, this is a recommended site for children:
- Work with your child, have them read the question. Ask them what they think it is asking. Highlight that the answer is a set number of letters. Look if there are any letters already in the clue from a previous answer.
- When they think they have an answer they can type it in. Remind them to use the mouse to place the curser in the answer box. Encourage them to sit up straight in the chair and not to slouch.
Is it too easy?
- Increase the difficulty by choosing a puzzle from a higher grade level. This will challenge your child to not only think more but to type longer words.
Too much of a challenge?
- Do not let your child fail, suggest that they change the puzzle. Try to do this by suggesting it will be shorter words, rather than indicating that it is a lower grade level. You want to keep them motivated to complete this activity.