Finger Fun Club

WITH MS. MARIAN BRICE, OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST

fOR BEEHIVE, SUNSHINE & RAINBOW STUDENTS

Developmentally tiered activities to promote the development of the mature tripod grasp that is necessary for efficient buttoning, cutting with scissors and the use of a drawing/writing tool

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Sensory Recipes

PUFFY PAINT

Materials

Shaving cream
White school glue
Peppermint extract
Glitter

Directions

Mix equal parts of shaving cream & glue in a bowl
Sprinkle in glitter
Add a few drops of peppermint extract

GOOp

Materials

Corn starch
Shaving cream
Food coloring (optional)

Directions

Pour any amount of cornstarch & squirt about the same amount of shaving cream on top (you can add more of either if you need as you go)
Mix it until you get a moldable dough
Squish with your fingers

Kinetic Sand

Materials

2 cups of sand
1 box of baking soda
1/2 bottle of shaving cream

Directions

Mix sand and shaving cream
Slowly add the baking soda
The baking soda gives the sand a moldable, kinetic-dough type consistency

Beehive Class (3 year olds)

Warm-up

We begin with a warm-up song to get their fingers moving. Hold up your fingers up & get those voices ready!

THIS LITTLE PIGGY

This little piggy went to market- thumb
This little piggy stayed home-index
This little piggy had roast beef- middle
This little piggy had none-ring
This little piggy cried, wee wee all the way home

Children can either hold finger with opposite hand or try to isolate each one without assistance

Raindrops

Raindrops, raindrops falling all around
(move fingers to imitate rain)

Pitter-patter on the rooftops, Pitter-patter on the ground
(tap softly on floor)

Here is my umbrella - it will keep me dry.
(Hands over head)

When I go walking in the rain, I hold it up so high.
(Raise hands in air)

Pitter-patter raindrops falling from the sky
(wiggle fingers to imitate rain)

Here is my umbrella - to keep me safe and dry
(Hands over head)

When the rain is over, and the sun begins to glow,
(make a large circle with arms)

Little flowers start to bud, and grow and grow and grow.
(Cup hands together, open out)

Strengthening

Simple activities to strengthen the muscles in the fingers.

trash ball

Materials

Recycled paper
Recycling basket

Using recycled paper or squares of newsprint, each child crumbles a sheet into a ball and SHOOTS for the Recycling bin.

Repeat at least 3-5 times

Lion paws

Materials

None

Show me your “paws”

Rub the paws together really fast.

Show me your claws
(Flex their fingers and hold)

Now the lion yawns
(Stretch out including extending the fingers)

Make your claws again

Rub the paws together

Now make a lion’s face!

In Beehive, the children snip away with NCRC's" Benbow learning scissors". We encourage the children to use their "tall man" (middle finger) and thumb in the finger loops to open and close as they snip. This scissor hold is a most beneficial way to develop the intrinsic muscles of the hands.

LION FACE

Materials

Ben bow scissors for preferred hand
Small paper plate
Small crayons

Snip around the entire plate to make the lion’s mane, help to fan to the front and back. Use crayons and demonstrate how/where to put eyes and nose. Show how to draw whiskers (horizontal lines).

NUTS & BOLTS

Materials

Nuts and bolts

Match the size, match the color, and be sure to put the nut all the way on and then off!

Sunshine Class (3 1/2 year olds)

Warm-up

We begin with a warm-up song to get their fingers moving. Hold up your fingers up & get those voices ready!

“HERE WE GO AROUND THE MULBERRY BUSH” TUNE

This is the way we rub our hands, rubs our hands, rub our hands

This is the way we rub our hands, here at NCRC

Repeat:

......we wiggle our fingers

……clap our hands

…..pull each finger

…..squeeze so tight

GRANDMA'S GLASSES

Here are grandma's glasses
(Fingers around eyes)

Here is grandma's hat
(Hands on head)

And this is the way she folds her hands and lays them in her lap.
(Fold hands and place in lap)

Here are grandpa's glasses
(Repeat above)

Here is grandpa's hat
(Repeat above)

And this is the way he folds his arms, just like that.
(Cross arms in front of chest)

Strengthening

Simple exercises to strengthen the muscles in the hand and fingers.

“Water” bananas

Materials

Water tube toys

Squeeze each “banana” in each hand several times (for strength). Identify and poke each finger in the whole (isolation). Roll the banana between both hands (bilateral focus)

Tear and roll

Materials

2 inch strips of recycled paper or newsprint

Children tear strips into 8 or more pieces and roll into balls.

Save the pieces of paper

Hand Separation

Isolating the fingers through various activities.

Let’s makes a Grandma puppet!

Materials

Ben bow scissors according to hand preference
Brown lunch bags
Balls
Glue stick

“Let’s make grandma’s dress by snipping all long the bottom to make it pretty.”

(Cut with bag flat or when it is open)

“Now let’s glue our paper balls near the top of the bag to make grandmas’ face.”

Teach/show: Two eyes, one nose and a mouth. Extras can be used for hair, ears etc.

Boards

Materials

Peg board
Small pegs

Line up a row of pegs as child takes turn matching the color under each row going left-to right (pre-reading skill)

Repeat or upgrade to a pattern

Up the ante—ask the children to pick up 2-3 pegs and hold them in their palm. Bring one out at a time to place in the board (translation skill)

Rainbow Class (4 year olds)

Warm-up

We begin with a warm-up song to get their fingers moving. Hold up your fingers up & get those voices ready!

Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, it's time for Finger---Fun---Club!

Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle your fingers,
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle your fingers,
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle your fingers,

Put them on your_____________(nose, pick any part of the body)

Beep beep beep your nose
Beep beep beep your nose
Beep beep beep your nose

Put them on your____________ (pick any part of the body)

REPEATS 3-4 times.

Strengthening

Simple exercises to strengthen the muscles in the arms, hands and fingers.

PUSH & SMUSH

Materials

None

Put hands together in front of chest and have children push together
Count to 10

Stretch hands up to the sky
Hold and count to ten

Now PUSH and SMUSH! Have each child push with extended arms against your extended arms and push to 10, WARN them of the release and give them a SMUSH—(aka hug)

Hand Separation

Isolating the fingers through various activities.

Cutting a paper in two

Materials

Benbow Scissors for PREFERRED hand
4-5- inch square pieces cut from magazine paper

Begin with good postural support - child sits upright in a chair with feet resting on the floor and upper arms supported against the trunk

Hand the scissors to the child with one loop above the other: encourage the child to grasp them with a “thumbs up” position (wrist in mid-supination).

Insert thumb and middle fingers in loop, so that loop rests near the middle joint. The index finger is placed under the lower blade to help guide and support the scissors.

Instruct the child to cut the square in half.

Mix up pieces and see if they can match them back together.

FEED THE PIGGY

Materials

Coin slot
Coins or chips

Place several coins on the table in front of each child. Pick up one penny and feed. (Translation skills)

If successful, try picking up two pennies and “hide them” in the palm. Them try to feed the piggy one at a time BUT do not have the other hand help!

Increase number with success.

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Finger Fun Club

fOR BEEHIVE, SUNSHINE & RAINBOW STUDENTS

Sensory Recipes

PUFFY PAINT

GOOp

Kinetic Sand

Beehive Class (3 year olds)

Warm-up

THIS LITTLE PIGGY

Raindrops

Strengthening

trash ball

Lion paws

Hand Separation

LION FACE

NUTS & BOLTS

Sunshine Class (3 1/2 year olds)

Warm-up

“HERE WE GO AROUND THE MULBERRY BUSH” TUNE

GRANDMA'S GLASSES

Strengthening

“Water” bananas

Tear and roll

Hand Separation

Let’s makes a Grandma puppet!

Boards

Rainbow Class (4 year olds)

Warm-up

Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, it's time for Finger---Fun---Club!

Strengthening

PUSH & SMUSH

Hand Separation

Cutting a paper in two

FEED THE PIGGY

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