iPad Chopsticks

iPad Chopsticks

Setting: at home with an iPad

Materials:
Folded piece of paper
Two Stylus'
Rubber Band

Instructions:
1. Fold the piece of paper
2. Take two stylus' and put the piece of paper in the middle of them and wrap the rubber band around the same area.
3. There you have your iPad chopsticks! Allow the individual to play games using the iPad chopsticks.

Purpose: The purpose of this exercise is to increase fine motor control by having the individual play or draw using chop sticks. Fine motor control is needed in independence in ADL's such as in dressing activities or tying of shoes. Fine motor also allows for literacy and written communication to make handwriting legible for school and work purposes. Regulation is also required in order to not press too hard but to press hard enough down on the chop sticks to the screen so it allows the iPad to sense the stylus'. Hand eye coordination could be used in this exercise if the game was that of fruit ninja which needs the hand to quickly respond to the visual cues.

Cooley, Tonya. (September 3, 2012). iPad Chopsticks. Therapy Fun Zone.

Retrieved from: http://therapyfunzone.com/blog/2012/09/ipad-chopsticks/

Mancala

Mancala

Setting: at home

Materials:
mancala board
mancala rocks

Instructions:
1. Place four rocks in each section leaving the end pieces empty. (Each player has their own side of the board.
2. When it is your turn you chose which section you are going to take the rocks from and move counterclockwise leaving one rock in each section you pass.
3. You put one rock in your home space as you pass it but not your opponents. If you end in your home space you get to go again.
4. Keep going until you have no more rocks on your side of the game.


Purpose: The purpose of this activity was to encourage wrist, arm and hand range of motion. The use of weights while playing the game could also increase the individual's strength in their hand muscles. What I noted on the most was the amount of fine motor activity that is used in this game along with grasp. Grasp is needed to pick up all the rocks in the desired section while fine motor control is needed in order to place one rock in each section. Regulation is needed in order to not spill more than one rock out at a section at a time since that would be cheating. Numbers and counting which emphasizes simple math skills one would need in work or play setting is also demonstrated in at the very end to see who has more rocks in their home space. Hand eye coordination is used in order to see where you need to drop or pick up stones.

Cooley, Tonya. (May 6, 2010). Mancala. Therapy Fun Zone.

Retrieved from:http://therapyfunzone.com/blog/2010/05/mancala/

Diamond Rings

Pipe Cleaner Diamond Rings

Setting: school or at home

Materials:
Pipe Cleaners
Hershey Kisses

Instructions:
1. Take two pipe cleaners and turn the hershey kiss upside-down.
2. Take the first pipe cleaner and put it diagonally across the hershey kiss and do the same for the second pipe-cleaner.
3. If their fingers are small enough you could have them twist the pipe cleaner at the bottom of the hershey kiss and wrap around the excess pipe cleaner into a circle so that they could wear it as a ring.

Purpose: A fun way for individuals can strengthen hand muscles while twisting and maneuvering the pipe-cleaners and exercising fine motor control. This also could be a social interaction project since some sites recommend it as a valentines day idea and leave the rings in people's valentines day boxes. Regulation would be needed for the individual to not eat the hershey kisses and actually complete the diamond ring task.

Mom on Timeout. (January 26, 2012). Bring on the Bling Valentine Ring.

Retrieved from:http://www.momontimeout.com/2012/01/bring-on-bling-valentine-ring-craft/

Feed The Mouse

Feed the Mouse

Setting: at home or in the classroom

Materials:
Small Erasers
Scissors
Tennis Ball
Marker
Foam or Felt
Glue
Marker
Knife

Instructions:
1. Take a knife and cut open the tennis ball on one side.
2. Take out the ball middle on the inside of a tennis ball.
3. Draw eyes on the ball.
4. Cut out 2 circles one big circle and one little circle.
5. Cut the big circle in half.
6. Glue the two half circles on top of the tennis ball for ears.
7. Glue the smaller circle in the middle of the tennis ball above the cut.
8. Have the individual draw whiskers on with a marker.
9. Take the small markers and have the individual feed the mouse the erasers.

Purpose: Works on finger and thumb opposition strength which is necessary to hold a pencil properly and other grasp tasks. Grasp is important in order to hold things without having them fall and in dexterous activities. Fine motor control is also exercised in picking up the small erasers and maneuvering them to fit into the mouse mouth. Hand eye coordination is necessary in order to place the eraser inside the mouth and not around the outside of the tennis ball mouth itself. To increase safety I would already have the tennis ball cut for the individual so there is no presence of a knife that accidents could occur with, especially if they have grasp issues.

Dodge, Jennifer. (2012). Tennis Ball Heads!

Retrieved from:http://www.school-ot.com/Tennisballheads.html

Color Game

Color Game

Setting: at home or in the classroom setting

Materials:
Different Colored Pipe Cleaners
Markers
Zip Lock Baggie
Clothespins

Instructions:
1. First write on every clothespin a color and put in a baggie.
2. Next have the individual take the pipe cleaners and create them to be in a circle.
3. Next have them pick a clothespin out of a bag and have them attach the clothespin to the color pipe-cleaner ring.

Purpose: The purpose of this activity is to emphasize the individual's color Identification, critical thinking and problem solving to figure out what clothespin goes to what pipe cleaner. Fine motor skills are used in order to pinch the clothespin open enough to attach it to a pipe cleaner. Strengthening of small hand muscles were used in order to pinch the pipe-cleaners together to create a circle. This exercise could have exercised fine motor control even more if they had the individual write the names of the colors on the clothespins and set into the baggie. This would practice writing skills and also use regulation and hand eye coordination in order to accurately put the clothespins in the baggie.

Tot School Tumblr. (October 6, 2010). Color Clothespin Game. [Blog post].

Retrieved from:http://totschool.tumblr.com/post/1259715391/i-made-this-really-cool-game-that-they-loved

Clothespin Catapult

Clothespin Catapult

Setting: at school or at home

Materials:
Glue
Spring-Style Clothes Pin
Popsicle Stick
Pom-Poms
Plastic Soda Bottle Cap
Small Piece of Wood (if accessible)

Instructions:
1.Glue the clothespin to the block of wood or put the clothespin upright on the end of a table or desk.
2. Glue the popsicle stick about midway down on the clothespin.
3.Glue the plastic bottle cap near the end of the popsicle stick with the hollow side upright.
4.Place a pom-pom in the cap and push down on the end of the popsicle stick.
5. And then let go!

Purpose: The purpose of this exercise is to create a fun way to encourage strengthening of hand muscles and fine motor control. Fine motor is demonstrated when using one finger to bend the catapult backwards to get ready for take off. It is also used in order to pick up the pom pom and place it within the bottle cap. Regulation is necessary for this type of activity because there needs to be a knowledge of your own hand and strength needed to push the pom pom to different distances. Regulation can be further encouraged by creating a tower at the end of the table to attempt to knock it down, this would also emphasize hand eye coordination.

Almost Unschoolers. (July 15, 2010). Clothespin Torsion Catapult for Kids.[Blog post].

Retrieved from:http://almostunschoolers.blogspot.com/2010/07/clothespin-torsion-catapult-for-kids.html

Snowflake Ornaments

Snowflake Ornaments

Setting: Classroom or at home where there is a flat surface

Materials:
yarn
scissors
white glue
tape
wax paper
paper
pencil

Instructions:
1. First have the person create a snowflake design by drawing it on a piece of paper.
2. Take that and tape it to the middle of the backside of a piece of wax paper.
3. Tape down the wax piece of paper on a table so that the drawing is touching the table side and not the side that the ornament will be made.
4. Next cut a piece of yarn using scissors.
5. Dip the yarn into the glue and trace the outline of the previously drawn snowflake.


Purpose: The purpose of this activity is not only to promote emotional expression in drawing a snowflake but also emphasizing the use of fine motor activity in pincer grasp of holding the pencil and also through holding the yarn and carefully trying to trace the previously drawn snowflake. The use of glue also involves some sensory play in it's sticky texture. Completion of a task is also emphasized in order to create an ornament for a family member or for themselves. Completion of tasks can increase an individual's self esteem.

Stewart, Martha. (2012). Snowflake Ornament. Retrieved from: http://www.marthastewart.com/276330/christmas-ornaments-for-kids/@center/307034/christmas-workshop#/186854