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Showing posts sorted by relevance for query chopsticks. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query chopsticks. Sort by date Show all posts

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Simply Made: DIY Chopstick Tongs

A favorite tool around our house to work on the pincer grasp, transferring objects, and concentration are tongs/tweezers. We use them for all sorts of fine motor fun!


 
I really like the Easy Grip Tweezers from Learning Resources. They are great for chubby little hands! But recently, my son lost interest in practicing transferring objects using them. He said he was getting "too big" for them and that it was "too easy." If I'm being honest, he was right about the easy part. I decided it was time to make it a little harder and add the novelty of a new tool into the mix.

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My inspiration came from our favorite Japanese restaurant. While eating there, they brought my son a pair of kid chopsticks and he thought they were the coolest thing ever. On our way out, I asked if we could have an extra set of chopsticks to use at home. When we got home, I got right down to making a set of tongs/tweezers with a little more difficulty involved.

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Materials:
  • Clean pair of chopsticks
  • strip of paper (about 1 inch wide)
  • tape
  • rubber band
  • scissors
Directions:
Cut a strip of paper about 1 inch wide. Starting on the small end, tightly roll the strip of paper. Secure the end with tape.

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Place the rolled up paper in between the chopsticks and twist the rubber band around--you'll need to go above and below the paper to secure it. I used trial and error (and some simple machine knowledge from elementary school) to figure out the best placement for the paper. You will need to leave some space at the top and move the paper down toward the middle. Play around with the placement and the thickness of the paper roll.
 
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Once your Chopstick Tongs are working, it's time to start playing! Have your tot transfer pom-poms, cotton balls, etc. to work on their pincer grasp (handwriting muscles).
 
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Since it is the beginning of Winter, my son transferred "snowballs" AKA cotton balls (you could use white pom-poms, too). The Chopstick Tongs are a little more difficult to control and was just the change that my little guy needed to grab his attention again.
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Want some more fine motor inspiration? Check out my Fine Motor Fun board on Pinterest!
 

Sara

    Sunday, February 1, 2009

    Meet Nevie...

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    Nevie is 38 months old, with 3 other siblings... Chloe (7), Caibry (5), and Sadie (18mon.). She is a ball of energy. She is prissy, fiesty, and a force to be reckoned with. She is strong-willed but sensitive. Nevie is very creative. She has an imaginary colony called "Crunch". She asks to go there all the time and when asked where it is she says it's "in the middle." Nevie loves adventure and hates to stay still. She makes me laugh. Her expressions are priceless. Life would be dull without her.

    Her (& Mom's) Top Ten Tot School Tools
    1. Little Touch Leap Pad
    2. Melissa & Doug Magnetic Dress-Up Dolls
    3. LeapFrog Fridge Alphabet Set
    4. Aquadoodle
    5. Tube Animals
    6. Kid Chopsticks (from the $1 section at Target)
    7. Link N Learn Links
    8. Word World Game
    9. Honey Bee Tree Game
    10. Ball Pit Balls

    Her Favorite Book

    1. Buttercup, the Clumsy Cow

    Her Favorite DVDs, TV shows...

    1. Word World
    2. Shrek

    Nevie's Mommy blogs at From Tiny to Teen, Babies & BallPoint Pens, & Novelized

    Do you want your tot to be featured one week? Go here to read more details!