Are you looking for some new games and activities that promote learning and fine motor coordination? Does your child need some new ways to help strengthen the muscles in his or her hand to prevent fatigue during functional activities? Well, you have come to the right place because we have great ideas for you. Fine motor coordination and hand strength in the intricate muscles of their hands is so important especially as children enter the school age and need those skills to keep print legibly, opening their food and drink items independently, and completing other self-help tasks such as buttoning pants and jackets.
What we recommend
The “sneaky, snacky squirrel” game is a great activity to improve fine motor skills while facilitating strengthening and bilateral coordination of the child’s upper extremities. This game can be found on amazon for under $15 and works on multiple skills while the child enjoys themselves playing this game. The child has to manipulate a wide tweezers to pick up small acorn pieces and color coordinate it to place the acorns into the appropriate place in the “tree”. If the child is more advanced in their grasp you adapt by using a smaller tweezers which are harder to manipulate. Additionally, this activity enhances color recognition skills, digit coordination while activating the spinner part of the game, and can be used to improve social skills and turn taking skills because up to 4 players can play. This activity is recommended for 3-6 year olds. There are variations of this game such as “Frida’s Fruit Fiesta Game”, “Shelby Snack Shack Game”, and “Frankie Food Truck Fiasco”.
How we can help
Engaging children through therapeutic play is what we enjoy doing best. We utilize a wide range of techniques and strategies to engage children in further developing their skills while they are having fun “playing and exploring”. If you have concerns with your child’s fine/visual motor, gross motor, speech/language, or social/emotional needs we are happy to help. Beyond Speech offers teletherapy during these unprecedented times, and regularly offers in-home therapy as well as clinic-based therapy prior to and following all CDC rules and regulations while administering services. Additionally Beyond Speech offers free speech and language and motor screenings. If you are looking for the best pediatric therapy near you, click here.