Push pins! You may have some handy for your bulletin board but have you used them to draw? OTs love to use "push pins" as a tool for fine motor skill development, especially for encouraging a pincer grasp! Read on to the find out all the great therapeutic benefits of this activity. But first, what do you need to do?! 1. Get your templates at the Your Kids OT shop! Print them off. 2. Put a piece of paper over a cork mat. 3. Place the chosen template page over both the paper and cork mat. 4. Use a push pin to poke small holes onto the template page. Use the non-dominant hand to support the pages so that it doesn't move. Encourage your child to pinch the push pin so that they are not squeezing too hard. They need to apply just enough pressure to poke a small hole (not too hard otherwise the push pin stays in the cork mat). 5. When all the holes for the picture have been "poked", hold the paper up to see the picture. Kids love to see their created picture and many of my OT kids have place their pictures on their bedroom windows as art! Therapeutic benefits! There are so many skills that can be achieved with "push pin poke drawing"!
All these skills are needed for complex hand tasks such as writing, drawing and cutting. They are important "pre-writing" skills and can help with the development of an efficient functional pencil grasp as well as helping with the fluent control of the pencil needed for writing. Did you read my recent article about my favourite fine motor toys needed for pencil grasp and handwriting? This activity is suitable for a wide range of ages. I have used this with preschool-age children (about 4 years of age) and primary school-age children. They have all loved it! Supervision of the "push pin" is advisable so it may not work in a whole-class environment. You could try toothpicks or bamboo skewers instead! This activity is so much FUN! Don't take my word for it, you will have to try it out! Don't forget to get your templates from the Your Kids OT shop! Also available from Teachers Pay Teachers. Have you tried "push pin poke drawing?!
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AuthorHi, I'm Cindy and I am an Occupational Therapist. I enjoy working creatively with children to see them reach their potential. Read more about me here. SEARCH THIS SITE
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Disclaimer: The information on this site is general in nature and should be used for educational and entertainment purposes. The activities are safe for most children, however, you should consult an Occupational Therapist or health professional to address specific movement, sensory or other medical conditions. This blog does not replace formal therapeutic professional advice given by a health professional or medical practitioner. Reviews and endorsements of products will only be made based on my expertise and personal opinion; and deemed worthy of such endorsement. The opinions shared in sponsored content will always be my own and not that of the advertising company or brand. Content, advertising space or posts will be clearly identified if paid, affiliated or sponsored. Affiliate links may be found throughout this website in advertising. This means that if you follow through with a purchase from these links, Your Kids OT will receive a percentage of the sale. Your Kids OT undertakes to meet the requirements of the "Social Media Policy" as published by Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). Further information about this policy can be found here.
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AuthorHi, I'm Cindy and I am an Occupational Therapist. I enjoy working creatively with children to see them reach their potential. Read more about me here. |
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