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You are here: Home / Handwriting Help / DIY Easy To Open Clothespins

DIY Easy To Open Clothespins

March 9, 2016 by Amy Smith

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.

Children and adults with weak hands or fine motor skills will benefit from using these easy to open, modified clothespins for things like crafts to laundry. Find out how to make them here!

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

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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

 

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2.Glue a large craft stick on top of each side of the regular clothespin

 

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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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Filed Under: Fine Motor Activities, Handwriting Help, Therapist's Tips Tagged With: fine motor skills, pincer grasp, special needs modifications, weak hands

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Disclaimer

Kids Play Smarter is a blog about general ideas, theories, and concepts related to the field of occupational therapy and the growth and development of all children. The information presented on this blog is not intended to serve as or replace occupational therapy services for your child. The information on this blog is for entertainment, informational, and educational purposes only. This blog is not meant to replace formal professional consultation or evaluation from a qualified clinician. All children need to have the approval of a physician to participate in physical activities, including those described on this blog. In addition, children need to be supervised by a responsible adult at ALL times when completing activities that are illustrated and described on this blog. The author of this blog is NOT responsible or liable for any damage, injury, accident, illness, death, or adverse reaction due to participation in the activities described on the website.

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Welcome to Kids Play Smarter

Amy Smith I am an occupational therapist with over 10 years of experience working with children. I created this website to offer parents, teachers, and therapists FREE ideas, strategies, and activities that they can do with their children to improve their fine and gross motor skills, handwriting, academic learning, and regulate their sensory system all while "playing" (just playing smarter)! Read More…

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