OT Tip - Summer Activity Ideas Pt. 2

Last week we talked about summer activity ideas for your children. This week I will continue that topic and focus on Finger Dexterity, Bilateral Coordination, Visual Perceptual Skills, and Scissor Skills. If you missed last week's post, you can read Summer Activity Ideas Pt. 1.

Here are some activity ideas for Finger Dexterity:

• Press cookie cutters into dough or putty
• Play with finger puppets
• Play pick-up sticks game
• Screw and unscrew small lids, nuts & bolts
• Fold paper (i.e. origami, airplanes etc.) 
• Hold a handful of marbles, transferring one at a time into a container 
• Draw shapes & write words in a variety of medium (i.e. shaving cream, sand, finger paint, hair gel in  a baggie, etc.) 
• Draw designs on an Etch-A-Sketch board
• Play board games with small pieces to manipulate (i.e. small Connect 4, Trouble, Chinese Checkers, Chess, Bedbugs etc.) 
• Use fingers to sprinkle toppings on food (i.e. sprinkles, shredded cheese etc.) 

Bilateral Coordination

• Roll dough with a rolling pin 
• Hand clapping games 
• Squeeze objects (i.e. glue, bubble bear, etc.) with both hands 
• Use both arms to twirl streamers, scarves etc. 
• Build with Legos 
• Trace patterns on paper 
• Draw a picture using stencils
• Tear lettuce into pieces to make a salad 
• Spread icing on cookies, cakes, etc. 

Visual Perception 

• Copy patterns/pictures using shapes, pegs etc. 
• Put together models
• Dot-to-dots 
• Mazes
• Hidden pictures 
• Word searches
• Put together puzzles
• Use changeable markers to improve tracing skills 

Scissor Skills

• Simulate cutting motion by transferring objects with bubble tongs 
• Cut straws into small pieces and string to make a necklace 
• Cut play dough/putty 
• Cut shapes out of foam 
• Cut picture from cereal boxes 

Other Miscellaneous Ideas 

• Allow your child to write/color/play while in a variety of positions
• Standing at a chalkboard/easel/window
• Lying on stomach on the floor
• Kneeling at a work surface 
• Side sitting on the floor
• Store items in containers that require strength/dexterity to open/manipulate 
• Ziploc bags
• Film containers 
• Coffee cans
• Plastic jars with screw lids
• Containers with clasps

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I hope these gave you some great ideas for summer ideas! Have fun!!