Theraputty and play putty are staples in my therapy bag throughout the year! These are extremely versatile materials that can really help to improve hand strength, which in turn will improve your little one’s ability to grasp and manipulate all kinds of objects. Putty is not quite the same as kids play dough, as putty tends to have a different texture and can be a bit more resistive. In this video, we are using a bunch of simple exercises all in one fun activity. Kids will never know they are working! Start by giving your child some putty with hidden objects. These could be coins, beads, pegs, or any other objects that can be hidden in putty. Do not use soft rubber objects, as the putty will stick. Putty will also stick to clothing and hair, so be careful!
1. Pull the putty and pull out the hidden gems! Pulling requires use of the hand muscles and shoulder muscles.
2. Once you have removed all of the hidden objects, push down on the putty to work on shoulder stability and to gain proprioceptive input, which can be calming and organizing. 3. Rolling out the putty also provides proprioceptive input, as well as requires bilateral coordination.
4. Use scissors to cut the putty. You will be working on hand strength, as well as scissor skills, and the resistance that the putty provides will give valuable feedback to the muscles of the hands and wrists.
5. Now that you have a bunch of small pieces, I like to have my kids “pinch and turn” to make small, flat discs. Pinching and turning is a complicated motor sequence that involves graded movements, tiny hand muscle strength, and coordination between the two sides of the body.
6. Once you have your discs, you are going to say “goodnight” to your little figurines and put them to bed (in other words, cover them and pinch them back into the putty).
7. Finally, you will squeeze all the smaller pieces together, using the bigger muscles of the hands and wrists.
This is a really fun play putty activity that will work on a variety of skills, all in one sitting!
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