Category Archives: Fine Motor & Hand Skill Development

Explore tools, games, and activities that support fine motor skill development including grasp, dexterity, hand strength, and coordination essential for functional tasks.

Enhancing Learning with Fine Motor Tools

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With academic demands increasing in the school setting, students’ free time is decreasing, and teachers try to create activities and stations for children to practice specific academic skills during class time. Occupational therapy practitioners have expertise in enhancing learning with fine motor tools, creating innovative interventions that combine fine motor development activities with academic skill development.

Here is a list of some simple fine motor activity ideas that can be used to support academic learning within the classroom environment. If you get creative you can come up with several  ways to mix and match items to multiply the possibilities. Remember to share with your teachers. 

1. Letter Names
Wiki sticks alphabet card and colorful Wiki stick example
2. Spelling
  • Letter tiles to match words
  • Alphabet Stamps
  • Letter beads on pipe cleaners
  • Stacking Legos, Blocks, Unifix cubes with letters on it to make words
  • Catching and spelling letters
  • Velcro letters
3. Number Recognition
  • Using tongs to count items and match to a number
  • Dice games
  • Using a sand tray to write numbers
  • Puzzles
  • Searching for items in rice bin and match to number cards
4. Addition
  • Making math equations with beads on pipe cleaners
  • Creating a 10 frame out of egg carton
  • Stacking blocks to create patterns
  • Putting counters into slotted containers

BONUS!

Adapting many of these to remote learning is pretty easy.  You can even host a scavenger hunt for the students to search their house to gather materials to create kits

The options for integrating fine motor tools into learning is limitless. I’m hoping I’ve listed a new one here for you to try with your students.

Guest Blogger: Moira P. Bushell OTD, MEd, OTR/L

Game Adaptations for All Ages: Enhancing Therapy with Play

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Allyson Locke, MS, OTR/L presenter for the seminar Games, Games, Games: Unique Adaptations of Games for All Ages and All Abilities.

On March 16th, therapists and teachers formed teams to learn new games and how to adapt them for those with whom they work from preschool age and up. Allyson Locke, MS, OTR/L presented the seminar Games, Games, Games: Unique Adaptations of Games for All Ages and All Abilities. She discussed how the games can be used as part of the therapy process as well as how they can be used to target educational goals.

Allyson’s expertise with adapting games comes from her extensive and diverse background in both sensory integration and school-based practice. She currently works in a Massachusetts school for children and young adults who have significant medical, mental health, and cognitive needs.

Allyson chose 5 Therapro games to discuss in her presentation, followed by hands-on game time. The games included NOVENOPS, Letter Treasure Hunt, and Obstacles. Attendees rotated every 15 minutes from one game to another. They reconvened as a group to discuss possible modifications of the games in order to meet a student’s needs. Letter Treasure Hunt, created by author and occupational therapist, Jenny Clark, has many adaptations for playing built into the game. It also includes suggestions for variations of playing the game within the game directions. The game includes a Captain’s Log for writing acquired treasures, for which a variety of pencil grips can be trialed. Allyson discussed a variety of multisensory activities for writing letters, i.e. Wikki Stix, Squiggle Writer, scented markers. Children can play in teams or individually to target cooperative and social skills. There are endless variations to try! During the game, players draw a Captain’s Orders card that features a motor activity they must perform.

Allyson provided a peek at a number of other games that will be discussed in Therapro’s first-ever webinar: Games, Games, Games: Unique Adaptations of Games for All Ages and All Abilities, Part 2. Be sure to keep an eye out for an announcement for this webinar in the Therapro’s e-newsletter (Theragram), and on the Therapro website.

All of the game adaptations presented were unique, motivating, and applicable to many environments. As therapists and educators, we are trained to develop strategies that ensure that children learn and succeed in achieving goals. Making learning fun is what motivates students of all ages!

Attendees enjoyed this interactive seminar! Here’s what they had to say:

“I liked exploring various games for different skill/age levels.” – Laurie K., Occupational Therapist

“It was fun to move around and try things.” – Rolene K., Teacher

“I enjoyed exploring the games while brainstorming & discussing how to adapt/grade each game to meet the needs of various students/clients.” – Shannon A., Occupational Therapist

“Surprised me that it would apply to my preschool class. Very good. Lots of fun.” – Anonymous, Teacher

“Great intro to available OT focused games!” – Inibral D., Occupational Therapist

Thank you, Allyson!

Filomena Connor, MS, OTR/L
March 16, 2019

Improving Student Hand Function: Activity Analysis Strategies

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Marcia Bridgeman, MHA, OTR/L, presented at the seminar entitled, Analyzing Activities for Improving Student Hand Function!,

The March Saturday seminar at Therapro was presented by Marcia Bridgeman, MHA, OTR/L, fine motor expert and author of the revised Fine Motor Olympics (2016). In her seminar entitled, Analyzing Activities for Improving Student Hand Function!, she methodically reviewed hand development from birth to elementary school age, and then discussed how the development translated into functional hand use.

Marcia has extensive experience in school-based practice and currently provides both consultation and direct service through her private practice in several Massachusetts school systems. She specializes in providing services to students from preschool through age 22.

Fine Motor Olympics has been revised to include a new Manual and 64 beautiful color photo cards of children’s hands performing fine motor tasks with instructions for the activity on the reverse side of the cards. A Guide to Hand Function, Quick Screening Form, Fine Motor Observation Checklist, Record Form, and In-Service Training Program are included in the Manual.

Within her comprehensive review of motor development and hand function from newborn to age 6, Marcia discussed functional fine motor skills expected at the corresponding developmental stages. For example, around the age of 8 months, development of the arches of the hand begins, essential for providing stability, mobility, and opposition of the hand. She matched simple therapeutic activities to this developmental level, including cupping the hand to shake dice, rolling up paper, fastening a zip lock bag, and cutting with a knife, to name a few!

Seminar attendees enjoyed breaking into groups at 8 stations where they tried out and analyzed original fine motor activities that Marcia created using inexpensive materials such as paper towel rolls, yarn, drinking straws, etc. The activities included activities like creating a spider web in a plastic basket and moving the spider in the web, using a variety of tongs to hunt tiny dinosaurs, balancing marbles on golf tees, and threading straws into paper towel rolls punched with holes. The groups engaged in activity analysis and shared their comments with the rest of the attendees. In addition to the new activities Marcia introduced today, she highlighted a number of fine motor Therapro products she loved, including, Boinks, Get a Grip Pegboard, Helping Hands Fine Motor Tool Set, and What’Zit Animals. She discussed conventional uses for the materials and also adapted the materials creatively and adeptly to help develop muscles of the hand. Some activities incorporated use of intrinsic muscles in translation activities, for example: moving a small single object fingers to the palm (1.5 – 2 years) and from palm to fingers (2.0 – 2.4 years).

Marcia sparked attendees to share their own creative fine motor activity ideas with the group. Everyone walked away with a toolbox filled to the brim with fresh, low-cost, and fun activities to try out next week.

We can’t think of a more enjoyable way to spend a sunny, brisk New England Spring morning than analyzing fine motor activities and sharing thoughts on how to help develop better hand function in the classroom setting! Marcia’s skill at analyzing functional hand use is unsurpassed. She offered many innovative, easy-to-make fine motor activities that support fine motor skill development.

Here’s a sample of the many positive observations that attendees shared about this seminar:

“Excellent easily implemented activities. Energetic presentation. Great product. Kudos all around.” – Beth B., Occupational Therapist

“As a Pre-K teacher, I learned a lot and will be able to look for certain signs in my 4-5 year olds and activities to help.” – Jackie K., Teacher

“Loved hearing about the development of the arches. Great refresher to help me
better analyze the activities I choose for my students.” – Jennifer N., Occupational Therapist

“It’s directly relatable in my practice!” – Jennifer C , Occupational Therapist

“Marcia was a warm, open, creative, and generous presenter who succinctly
outlined foundations of hand function. We all left with user-friendly,
inexpensive ideas we can implement immediately. Wonderful!” – Bernadette W., Occupational Therapist

Thank you, Marcia!

Filomena Connor, MS, OTR/L
March 24, 2018