One of the biggest reasons for referral to OT is handwriting. Here are some of the fun fine motor activities that support pencil grip and control for neat formation.
De-icing Treasures
While rescuing the frozen treasures, students will develop strong separation or the hand as they squeeze the handle of the spray bottle. This is important for things such as scissor use, and pencil grip.
To de-ice the treasures, you will need to prepare a cup with small items such as gems, plastic animals, or beads. Fill with water and freeze the day before the activity. Have students use a small spray bottle of water to melt the frozen treasures. Make sure to do this in an area where things can get wet!
Tennis Ball Alien
This fun activity combines development of separation of the hand, translation, and bilateral coordination. Separation of the hand is important for scissor use and pencil grip. Translation is used when manipulating small objects. Bilateral coordination is important for automatic stabilization of the paper with the non-dominant hand.
For this activity, you will need a tennis ball with a slit cut for the mouth, googly eyes or pens (to decorate), and small objects to feed the alien such as pom poms, gems, or beads. With one hand students squeeze the ball to open the mouth, and with the other hand they put the items inside. Have them try switching hands too! Students can also palm a few of the items and move them to their fingertips without the other hand helping- this is translation.
Beady Baby
Making a beady baby develops fine motor prehension as students hold tension on the lace with one hand while the other hand uses fingertip prehension to place the beads. This activity also develops sequencing for project completion as they follow the pattern of beads.
To make a beady baby you will need lanyard cording, pony beads, and a key ring or clip. Here is a link to make an alien beady baby. Alien pattern here
Rubber Band Balls
Rubber band balls are a great way to train intrinsic hand strength, as well as individuation of the fingers as students stretch against the tension of the rubber bands.
For this activity you will need rubber bands in various sizes and thicknesses. You can use a small super bouncy ball to start it out, or a folded-up rubber band for more of a challenge!
Slime
This activity develops sequencing for project completion as students follow step by step instructions to make their slime.
To make slime, mix ¼ tsp borax into ½ cup water (for stickier slime use only 1/8 tsp). slowly mix the liquid into a bowl of ½ cup glue until it reaches the desired consistency. Use a pipette or dropper to add the liquid in for more of a challenge. Add food coloring and glitter to make your slime out of this world!
Putty
Doing these exercises with soft to medium stiffness putty is not only fun for students, but trains intrinsic hand strength to inform proper pencil grip.
Finger Scissor
Using a small amount of putty roll into a ball. Spread your fingers and place the ball in between two fingers. Squeeze the ball with your fingers until they touch. Repeat with all fingers and complete on both hands.
Snake
Roll putty into a snake. Then lay on the tabletop and using tip of thumb and index finger, pinch the snake into a crocodile tail.
Make Your Name
Hold the putty with both hands and roll into a ball. With the thumb and finger pads of your preferred hand, pinch off small pieces of putty by twisting and pinching the end of the ball. Roll small pieces into small pea shapes and then roll these into long sausages. Use the long sausages to make your name. (To increase the difficulty, ask students to make various letters, numbers and shapes using the putty).
Hide and Seek
Hide small objects (beads, gems) inside the putty and then try pulling and pinching them out.
Pancake Spread
Roll the putty into a ball using both hands. Place the ball on a table and flatten the ball to make a pancake by placing one hand flat on top of the other and arms straight. Pick up the pancake from the table and close one set of fingers together whilst extended. Place the pancake over the top of fingers and thumb and open them out as far as you can.
Volcano
Once putty is in a pancake, lay flat and draw the edges of the pancake upward into a volcano.
Doughnut Stretch
Roll putty into a ball using both hands. Roll the ball in to a snake. Squish ends together to form a donut. Place putty loop around fingers. Stretch loop by opening at large knuckles only. Keep the thumb still and finger straight. Complete with both hands. To increase the resistance, make the donut thicker or use a higher resistance putty.
Students can also try making different animals out of the putty!