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Thursday, May 6, 2010

Chinese Checkers = Fine Motor

Anyone who knows my family well enough knows that I am always on the lookout for fine motor activities; especially those that emphasize on the pincer grasp.

Chinese Checkers was a favorite game for me growing up, but I don't have one of my own.

When Cannon wanted to play a game at Grandma's, it ended up being a perfect exercise for him.

Originally, I only intended it to be a pincer grasp activity:
He has a hard time using his left hand, so he has to position it perfectly in his right before the left can take over...

He still uses more than just his thumb and forefinger, but because it had to go inside of the hole, it forced him to focus more on the correct thumb and forefinger positioning.

This was also a good activity for object manipulation.  Having him pick up the piece with one hand, and try to manipulate it using only his fingers to get the right positioning was hard with such a small object, but it was a good exercise.

We were able to think of plenty of ways to keep it interesting.
Other than just letting him be creative and design his own thing, we worked on trying to form individual shapes:

It also turned out to be a good game to practice organizing and sorting.

Obviously a good way to sort colors.

Most importantly, it can be easy to take everyday household items and turn them into activities that your kids need to work on for personal improvement.

Find a way to make it fun, and they will acutally want to cooperate.

As I mentioned before, I am always on the lookout for simple activities like these.  I would love to hear what works for you in your home...

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