

We may see kids having trouble with buttons, zippers, or snaps because of the fine motor skills they really need to develop. We may notice these issues in how a student grasps their pencil. We might see kids who really struggle with hand strength, dexterity, joint mobility, or precision. The problem is when we see functional concerns that limit independence. Kids need fine motor skills for school and play.
Clipy paper things plus#
Plus playing games with paper clips are fun activities kids will get a kick out of! The school based OTs will love that playing games with paper clips is a frugal way to extend occupational therapy games and toys with a new spin on typical game play. From using paperclips as a game spinner, or as a game piece counter, you can develop fine motor skills, coordination, and hand eye coordination using a functional item. Using everyday materials like paper clips can support development of skills. We all know that therapists (and teachers) pay for things out-of-pocket, so cheap and easy to implement makes for the perfect set-up. You can make fine motor kits or baggies for the classroom or the home which can generate family engagement and build the skills outside of the therapeutic environment without breaking the bank. One fun idea we use in our Fine Motor Kits is using a paper clip to make a paper clip game spinner that you can easily create for use with many games if you follow the directions in the post and print the spinner templates.īelow are some easy-to-create paper clip activities and games that can build the skills children need to further important development in therapy and beyond. Simply adding a die, a spinner, or even a magnetic fishing rod can turn the use of paper clips into a game that kids will enjoy for therapy fun and hand skill development. This even includes creating some games for paper clips, that’s right, games! Why? You can use them in the typical fashion, or for educational purposes like counting, or you can think outside of the box and add other elements that can address a variety of hand skills that make activities therapeutic and engaging. Paper clips are some of the best tools for building fine motor, bilateral coordination, and eye-hand coordination skills. Read on for fun and easy ways to use paper clips in fine motor play! Paper clips are a great tool for fine motor development while improving dexterity and the motor skills that preschool (and older) kids need. These fine motor ideas are easy and quick ways to boost fine motor abilities using an item that is probably already in your craft supply bin or therapy bag. The preschool age range is a great time to develop and strengthen particular skills that preschoolers will need for tasks like cutting with scissors, coloring without fatigue, and holding a pencil. In fact, paperclips are a really great item for improving fine motor skills in preschoolers. But have you ever stopped to think about how a simple item can be used as a fine motor powertool to ramp up the motor skills needed for tasks like a functional pencil grasp? Have you considered how a simple item like a paperclip can be used to strengthen and refine fine motor skills? It’s true! You probably have 6 of them sitting in your junk drawer right now.

Use other everyday items in your therapy bag to with these fine motor activities with craft pom poms and fine motor activities with playing cards. Catch up on the latest tools on The OT Toolbox.
