ideas for fine motor activities?

[Ericsmomma]

Evening all,

We are still "swimming" here in Ohio...rain, rain, but turning to 1-3 inches of snow overnite...
Anyways, Eric absolutely HATES coloring, drawing, painting, play dough, finger paints, etc. Needless to say, his fine motor skills aren't the greatest. He also hates using utensils...any suggestions on how to strengthen his skills? I finally this summer got him to play in the sandbox...he Did like that. It must be a sensory thing with him. Anybody else have a problem with this? I have a call into his OT to see what she suggests, but she hasn't called me back................Dolly

[Cbean]

Hi Dolly! How about stringing beads? You said he likes the sandbox - did you ever see the sand and water table? I think it's made by Little Tykes. Don't know you're home situation, but if you had a basement and didn't mind a little mess, this might be something to try during the lovely weather. How about bathtime? There are so many bath toys out there - heck, how about some plastic cups that he can keep pouring water into. Also, for pinching, how about magnetic numbers and letters to play with on the fridge. Have you tried Mega Blocks, Kid K'nex, or anything like that? Another pinching excercise is placing coins in a bank. Does he have a piggy bank? Little Tykes makes a really cute one that says "Mmmmm" and oinks after the coins go through the slot. There are a lot of really cool banks out there.

Well, there's my bright ideas. Good luck!!!

[meghans_mom]

good ideas Christine!!
Ok, here goes w/ mine...one the back idea, if you don't have one, make one out of a coffee can. If pennies are too small use poker chips. Have him pick them up off the table, or hand them to him at first if it's too difficult. turn and hold the can at different angles - sideways, straight, tilted to the side, etc....you can also have him put popsicle sticks in and pull them out of the slot also. helps w/ strenthening and grip.
another variation on this is to put a mound of clay/play-dough on a table and stick popsicle sticks and poker chips in it, again - different angles and things, sticking out all over the place...have him pull them out. Once he gets used to handling the clay have him poke holes in it w/ his pointer and also PUT things into the clay.
for general hand strengthening....hand massages w/ baby lotion or whatever....
put a small dab in each palm and sing "rub, rub, rub it in, rub rub rub it in and squuuuueeeeze.....squuuueeeeze" while performing the activities along w/ the song. BOTH my kids love this and we have to do it over, and over, and over....
when he's in the tub give him washcloths and sponges....have him squeeze the water into different cups. You can also do this outside w/ a basin of water.
have him do peg puzzles...he has to grasp the pegs in order to do puzzles.
Lauri brand toys makes some great OT things...one is a peg stacker - www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00000J4HK/qid=1105710115/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl21/104-8200877-0863144?v=glance&n=507846&s=imaginarium there are other variations. and if you check around they make other cook OT type toys. Things like that bristle blocks are good too, that need to be pulled apart.
Simple things like stacking blocks are great as well....working from larger to smaller 1" blocks.
also anything "nesting"...cups or blocks, where he has to pick up them in successive order and place them in the larger sizes.
Another bath tub fun idea...and is good for both sensory and OT -- give him a mound of shaving cream to spread around on the walls and draw in...if you're nervous he might taste it or put it in his eyes, you can get kids non-toxic bath foam. there's a few brands, but watch the colored ones can tint your grout. This I know from experience, LOL!
Would he enjoy a magnadoodle or aquadoodle? would help w/ prewriting skills, etc but wouldn't be drawing on paper. there's also a new toy that you use your finger on a light board....like a giant PDA without the stylus. don't know the name but they sell it in toys r us, near the Light Brights.
also - tossing and throwing bean bags made of different materials. at MM's school we have a big board w/ a clown or character on it and the kids have to place or toss bean bags thru different parts (mouth. hands, belly, whatever).
The bean bags are all different textures and weights. You can get a big cardboard box and make on...doesn't have to be fancy (one of the parents made ours)...a great activity because it incorporates so many things (pt, ot, teaching)
any electronic cause & effect toy, like busy boxes where he has to poke, point, turn to get the desired effect...

Ok, I'm running out of ideas and coffee...so if I think of more I'll be back. hope this helps some, laurie

[SuziF]

Here's one we lucked onto over the holidays.
Merideth LOVES to play Kerplunk! That classic game where 1st to set it up you have to shove pickup sticks thru holes then you fill it with marbles.You take turns pulling out the stix till someone makes the marbles dump.
It was only aboyt $7. They make a newer version with electronic sounds & lights too but that was overkill.

[meghans_mom]

yeah - more - I had gotten at Target a set of 5 cups w/ plastic bears...a sorting toy. the bears are small and great to pick up pincer grasp wise. it was near the school supplies when i got it & only a few dollars. great because it combines OT w/ teaching...sorting & learning colors. I also use it to do patterning/sequencing w/ Meghan (red-blue-red-blue-what comes next). Teachers (educational) stores also carry this.
also...drums...tomtoms or one w/ drum sticks or a xylophone...anything to encourage him to use his grasp.a piano or keyboard too for pointer.
a good website to look at for ideas is http://www.smarterkids.com...they have toys by category & age (sensory, etc)...you don't need to buy from them but they have good ideas.
they showed small size rolling pins which would be great for play-dough (i know you said he's not fond of playdough) -- i use my regular size pin and cookie cutters w/ MM.
Also, if he likes stickers or colorforms...picking those up and moving them around would be good. You can make your own out of felt, I think.
also, to work on holding utensils...getting a larger size spoon and balancing plastic eggs or something on it....while he's sitting, transferring them from one container to another.
and make sure the utensils he's using to eat w/ at home have a wide enough handle to grasp w/ like some of the toddler ones w/ fat handles. It makes out kids less tired and more apt to try because it really is hard for them,
and one more easy and cheap idea....ripping up and crumpling paper. Meghan LOVES to do this...and it makes a huge mess but it occupies her for an hour. When i get new shoes I give her the box and paper that comes in the shoes...that is good weight paper. but anything will work. your bills or junk mail <grin>. construction paper, etc.
see what happens when i make a fresh pot of coffee. LOL. hope this helps some...laurie

[SID]

Hi Dolly long time .I hear you about this Ohio stuff it was 60 yesterday and today 20 and snow. The sand and water tables are great .We use them at school in the class room. They are good for lots of stuff not just sand and water. We put rice in it for the kids they just love it and it is so small it works well with the sand toys. Cleans up better too. If you do not have room for one a large container works just as well with the rice and a few sand toys I use one at home for Cody he loves it. Small cars are good too to make them use those little fingers. Cody is not big on colors and so as well. I find how ever he likes bath foam soap I put it on the side of the tub and he will paint in it and on himself. Bathtime fun foam soap Dino Purple he likes the most.I get it at the dollar store it comes in all colors. He likes to do the bubble thing in the tub too we blow bubbles on the side so he can pop them .He will put his little fingers in side them and say pop.Blowing bubbles is good for speech as well. We do alot of fine M in the tub in the winter time. Pick up sticks good one too. We start the kids out with straws frist so they can really get the hang of it then go to the sticks. It helps to start bigger with some kids. I think everyone els has given you all I can think of. Hugs SID

[MB]

Fantastic ideas!!!!

I wanted to make the following suggestions based upon a workshop I took when my son was 4 years old. It was actually a speech workshop and the theory was that we, as parents, were making too many demands on our kids and this is why they weren't talking. I used their suggestions and the results were immediate and dramatic. Adapting the theory to fine motor play, I suggest the following:

Use everyone else's ideas and turn off the t.v., computer, stereo etc. leaving him bored to tears. Then put some of these great things out for him to play with.

Do not give him any directions. Wait for him to choose an activity and mimick his actions. Smile and laugh at what he is doing. Let him take the lead and you play with whatever he wants the way he wants to play with it. If he wants to take one item and play with it over and over again, fine. Do this for 10 days until he trusts that you will not be bossing him around during play time. After about 10 days, you can start playing next to him with another activity or play in a different way with his activity and see if he doesn't try to participate.

Don't make any demands. Don't suggest any of the toys or ways to play with them. Don't talk, just smile.

It all had to do with letting the kid have more control over his life and mimicking and smiling to let him know you approve and accept his way of doing things. Playtime is one time that the kid can actually boss you around if given the opportunity.

I noticed that this was the way my husband played with my son. He let him have total control over the way they played together. My son loved, and still does, playing with my husband.

Hope this helps.

MB

[Ericsmomma]

Thanks all....all your ideas are terrific..and they seem fun! I was getting so frustrated with trying to get him to hold crayons, markers, etc...maybe he just isn't ready for that. I'm going to start tomorrow working( I mean playing) with Eric and see how he does.
But we'll have to take a break around 4:30pm....
STEELER GAME!! GO PITTSBURGH! I've been a fan of theirs since the late 60's (telling my age). Its nice to see them have such a great year..

Thanks again, you guys are great!!
love, Dolly

[YoshsMom]

Try fingerpainting with pudding or whipped cream, or playing with jello. Make playdough from peanut butter, powdered milk and honey. Some kids who have sensory issues will put up with textures if they like the taste.