Making stress balls
Setting: kitchen, dining room, or classroom
Materials:
Regular Balloons
Permanent Marker
Funnel
Cornstarch or
Baking Soda
Instructions:
1.Take a regular
balloon and blow it up a little bit.
2. Pinch the top
of the balloon shut and place a funnel inside the hole of the balloon.
3. Fill the
funnel with cornstarch or baking soda and slowly let go of pinching the
balloon.
4. Keep adding
filling until your balloon is filled about 3-5 inches.
5. Pinch out any
air in the balloon and tie the balloon tight.
6. Decorate your
stress ball with permanent markers.
Purpose: Stress balls demonstrate healthy sensory
play. A stress ball strengthens hand muscles both in fine motor skills and in
grasp. Fine motor skills are demonstrated in pinching the balloon shut before
filling & drawing faces on the balloon. If the individual can pour the cornstarch
or baking soda in the funnel this too furthers fine motor ability. Depending on
the level of fine motor activity tying the balloon after filling could also
expand strengthening fine motor skill ability. Holding the stress ball can also
improve the individual’s grasp of the object. Incorporation of emotional
expression could be involved if they had the individual make a face that
describes how they felt at the moment.
Denman, C. (July
28, 2012). Stress Ball Balloons. Pre-School Play Activities. [Blog Post].
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