Are Your Child’s Hands
Ready For School?

When we think about getting our kids ready for the new school year, we often think about clothes and uniforms, satchels and lunches. But what about your child’s hands?

Even one hour a day on a device or watching a screen, is an hour a day that our kids are not using their hands. It is not easy to find any kids who spend less than an hour a day on a device or watching a screen – if yours are one of them – good for you! Please share your secret! And for the rest of us, who are working hard to be good parents in this crazy modern world, we need to be intentional about getting those little hands moving to make up for lost time!

Here are some super-simple steps you can take TODAY to help your child strengthen the hand muscles and improve dexterity. And none of them involve a pencil or crayon!

Climb Something!
I bet you were not expecting a gross motor activity to strengthen the hands! But climbing means your child has to reach, grab and hold on – all of which help make the hand muscles stronger! So take your child to the nearest park and climb a tree, or a jungle gym, or a climbing wall – all under safe adult supervision, of course!

Build Something
Whether grasping large blocks to build a tower, sticking duplo or lego together to create something, or using some construction toys, your kid’s hands will be getting active.

Squeeze or Crumple Something!
Sponges are great for squeezing – get some big ones to use in the bath, or have your child make a bubbly mess outside squeezing sponges in water with some washing liquid in… perfect for summer. Do you have a pile of paper that needs to be trashed? Have your child crumple the paper into balls and try tossing them into a waste basket for target practice.

Or… a crazy family night idea… Make a massive pile of crumpled paper as a family and have a huge paper fight, tossing the paper back and forth over a demarcated line on the floor – so much fun! You can even have a re-crumpling break to “fix’ the paper balls – they travel much further when they are crumpled more tightly!

Read Something!
(you do the reading, that is…) Check out more fun, free fine motor activities on these pages of my site!

Hands-On Fine Motor Activities!

Get Something!
Get 25% off my fine motor bundle with this SNEAKY discount that I am only showing to my newsletter subscribers (but hey, you can share it with your friends, family, or fellow teachers if you like!). This bundle is jam packed with easy hands-on activities to help you build your child’s fine motor skills – no worksheets or coloring – just loads and loads of photographed activities to help get your child’s hands ready for school!

Use this discount at checkout: FineMotor2024 and apply it to your purchase.

This code only works until July 31, 2024, will not be advertised on my website, and I am not going to send a reminder – so use it now and get access to a wealth of activities to benefit your child, for the price of a couple of coffees!

Use the discount code to get 25% off this already discounted bundle!

It is never too late to work on your child's hand strength and dexterity, and these hands-on activities are meant to inspire and encourage you! However, if you are in any way concerned about your child's development, please seek a professional opinion to give your child the best possible assistance.

All the best as you help the children in your life! And enjoy the rest of the vacation time!

Tracey

Living Life Abundantly!
John 10:10

Check Out My Other OT Mom Resources!

This information and the suggested activities on my email and website are meant to promote your child’s normal development. If you are at all concerned about your child's development, please consult your health professional. The information on my email and website is not intended to take the place of an occupational therapy evaluation and treatment!