• Ensure your child is well supported and seated/standing in a stable position.

• Start with an easy task before progressing to something more challenging.

• When introducing a new activity, demonstrate the task especially during the first few attempts. Provide hand over hand assistance or consider breaking up the activities into simple steps where necessary.

• Allow your child time to practise and feel comfortable in the presented activity.

• Praise your child for his attempts and successes to reinforce his efforts and encourage participation!

1. Play-dough/ Therapeutic putty 

• Create small balls, long rolls, or pretend pancakes

• • Using one hand and rolling the dough/putty on the table

  • Rolling dough/putty between both hands

  • Using thumb, index and middle finger to roll dough/putty into small ball

  • Using finger pads to squeeze the dough/putty

• Manipulate dough/putty with fingers or simple tools to create objects/figurines e.g. snake, sausage, snowman, etc

• Pulling apart dough/putty to find hidden “treasures” (e.g. beads, beans, buttons)

• Drawing in flattened play-dough using tools such as chopsticks, dough cutter, pencil

2. Stringing or lacing activities

• String large rings through shoelace

• String large wooden beads

• String small beads

• Lace board or cards

3. Finger isolation activities

• Eye droppers: Use as part of table top art activity, or during bath time. Water can be mixed with food colouring to make “dribble pictures”.

• Coins and buttons: Pick up coins/ buttons as part of counting/ matching/ sorting game, making designs with buttons. Turn over pieces without bringing over edge of table.

• Pick up small objects with thumb and index finger (e.g. raisins, crumbs, pegboard pins, beads, beans).

• Finger puppet play

• Flicking games (e.g. marbles, clay balls, rolled-up paper balls, finger soccer)

4. Constructional play/ puzzles

• Wooden inset puzzles with varying sizes of knobs/ pegs atop puzzle pieces

• Jigsaw puzzles with puzzle pieces in varying shapes/sizes

• 3-D constructional puzzles

• Bolts and nuts

• Lego/Duplo

5. Tweezers, tongs, and pegs

• Experiment with different sizes and stiffness of tweezers, tongs or pegs to pick up items

• Pick up different objects, graded by texture, size and shape

6. Craft activities

• Scissors skills

• Craftwork with scissors and glue

• Paint shapes/ figures using paintbrush, string, sponge, toothbrush

• Finger painting using fingers, fingers, fist or hand

• Paper folding or origami (e.g. into a fan, boat, box, paper chain)

• Stickers play

7. Daily activities at home

• Dressing up and managing own or doll’s buttons, zips, shoelaces

• Pouring water into containers with openings of various sizes (e.g. mugs, bottles)

• Turning taps on/ off

• Baking fun: Using rolling pin, cookie-cutting, simple cake/biscuit decorating

• Food preparation: Spreading butter/ jam on bread, stirring drinks, grating cheese/ carrot, peeling fruits, making meatballs, fishcakes or anything that has to be rolled/ shaped

Ref: K21