Clothespins are great for so many more reasons than just hanging up clothes! They can be turned into fun tools that help children develop hand strength, especially in developing their pincer grasp. A pincer grasp is when the thumb and index finger form a ring or oval shape in order to hold small or thin objects at the fingertips.
Pincer Grasp is essential for:
-Feeding tasks
-Self-care tasks like snapping, zipping, buttoning
-Pre-writing skills such as pencil grasp
-Pre-cutting skills
-Toy and object manipulation like building blocks, turning pages, and holding onto papers
What happens though if your child cannot open/close a clothespin?
Don’t miss out on lots of exciting craft and game ideas that involve using a clothespin (especially because the more your child practices at it, the better he will become). Instead, modify your clothespins so they can become easier for your child to manipulate. Remember that the longer the craft stick you use, the easier it will be for the child to open. You can cut the length down on the craft sticks as the child begins to build strength in his hands to continue to provide that “just right” challenge for your child. This is too easy and inexpensive to not try it!
How To Make a Modified Clothespin
1.Take a regular sized clothespin and put glue (craft glue works best but any glue will work) on both sides
2.Glue a large craft stick on top of each side of the regular clothespin
3. Wait for the glue to dry and start pinning away!
Now that you can make modified clothespins, you can try out the CrazyFace Clothespin Game and see how they work!
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