Fun Color Matching Fine Motor Activity

This is color matching DIY activity is simple to make, and it's a great for working on fine motor and bilateral skills which are important for writing, typing, and cutting with scissors. 

It’s also a great activity for teaching a child how to recognize and match colors. All that you need are several different colors of construction paper or poster board cut into circles and paper clips of corresponding colors. Instruct the child to place the paper clips on the circle that is the "same" color. It may be helpful to demonstrate at first, but it won't take long for them to catch on!

The project above was completed by one of our Master's of Occupational Therapy students at 

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center and posted with permission.

 

Clothespin Counting Activity

This DIY clothespin activity strengthens the hands and fingers, which improves fine motor skills and helps with handwriting and other manipulative tasks. You can vary the activity to work on matching colors, recognizing numbers, and counting!

You Will Need:
A paper plate or poster board cut into a circle
Different colors of Sharpie markers
Different colors of stickers
Clothespins

To Make the Activity: 
Place colored stickers on the clothespins and the paint stirrer. Use a Sharpie to write/draw shapes, numbers, math symbols and letters on the clothespins and paper plate.  

Activity Instructions: 
Work on matching and placing the corresponding clothespins to the sticker colors and numbers. Instruct the child can alternate hands when placing and squeezing the clothespins.
If the child can't differentiate colors/numbers, etc. you can help them identify which one to match. Position the circle to encourage crossing the midline.
 

Fun Color Sorting & Matching Activity

I just love this color sorting activity! It’s great for teaching a child to recognize and match colors, and it can also improve skills such as reaching, grasping, transferring from one hand to another, and eye hand coordination.

The cups are also stackable which is fun for toddlers! The set is available on Amazon!

Calming Sensory Space...AKA the Safari Room!

 

I created this calming sensory space for my grandchildren, and they LOVE it! They call it the Safari Room. It is a small space under our staircase that I previously used for storage.

I painted a safari mural with lots of animals and added several stuffed animals. The shelves were already there, and that worked out perfectly, because we now use them as a bookshelf. I found the cute leaf rug and safari table and chairs on Amazon, and I made the pillows myself.

This is the perfect space to read and book, chill out, or take a nap!

Entertaining DIY Activity for Infants & Toddlers

x

 

This DIY actvity is an inexpensive way to entertain your infant or toddler while they work on their visual motor and bilateral skills! It's a nice way to work on grasping, placing, and releasing in a controlled manner. All you need are popsicle sticks and a clean to-go coffee cup and lid.

'

 

After a bit of practice, this little one progressed to holding the cup with one hand and placing the popsicle sticks with the other hand. Well done!

Busy Board for Baby: Another Great Developmental Toy!

This Kitchen Busy Board is a fun interactive toy that will definitely entertain your little one! It plays music, lights up, and has lots for opportunities for your baby to improve their fine motor skills. You can also teach your child the concepts of open, close, in, and out while the two of you play with the busy board.

Playing with the Busy Board will also promote your baby's problem solving skills! This would make the perfect birthday or Christmas gift for your little one, so check it out!

Developmental Baby Toys: Easy Grip Ball Activity...Another Favorite!

 

I'm excited to tell you about a fun activity to carry out with your baby using an Grasp Classic Ball and some cloth or organza tissue squares. All you have to do is stuff the cloth squares inside of the ball, and show your baby how to pull them out. This activity will help teach your little one about the concepts of "in" and "out." It is also a great activity to help them use both hands together and to work on their pincer grasp. You can also name the colors of the cloth squares as they pull each one out of the ball. Eventually, your baby will gain the skills to stuff the squares back inside the ball, but that may take a little while. If you don't have any cloth or organza tissue squares, you can just purchase some colorful cocktail napkins, and they will serve the same purpose. Your child will love this activity and it will fully entertain them!