Archives for posts with tag: Educational toys

Here’s a fun activity to do with your child of 5 years or more to practice handwriting casually! Use the Squiggle Wiggle Writer to draw funny shapes in black, pink, purple, green and blue. It’s heavy and it vibrates, encouraging fine-motor control and awareness while creating hours of fun. It’s perfect for these little sensory seekers who need to learn handwriting like everybody else! Fun-proofed with Dominic, 11, who has autism 😉

turn it onSquiggle Wiggle Writer - Special Needs Essentials

hold it like a pen

Squiggle Wiggle - Special Needs Essentials Squiggle Wiggle Writer - Special Needs Essentials

draw... Squiggle Wiggle Writer - Special Needs Essentials

…or writeSquiggle Wiggle Writer - Special Needs Essentials

change colorsSquiggle Wiggle Writer - Special Needs Essentials

turn it offSquiggle Wiggle Writer - Special Needs Essentials

Thanks to Cathy for fun-proofing this activity with Dominic!

Dear readers,

Today we are happy to repost an article from Mama OT: 10 Play Dough Activities for Toddlers!

Play dough - Special Needs Essentials

“Specific fine motor skills encouraged in the activities listed below include:

  • Shoulder and arm strengthening
  • Pincer grasp
  • Finger isolation
  • Thumb opposition
  • Digital Pronate grasp
  • Hand-eye coordination
  • Bilateral coordination

1. Smash it with hands. A great opportunity for pure sensory exploration.

2. Smash it with a tool. Potato smashers work well, and there are so many different kinds.

3. Pull it apart. This is a good precursor for learning to tear paper later on.

4. Roll it with hands. Don’t expect your toddler to be able to roll a ball with coordinated motions at this age. Instead help them practice simply rolling the play dough back and forth to make an oblong form (snake, worm, hot dog…whatever you want to call it).

5. Roll it with a tool. Hands can be placed either directly on top of the rolling pin, or on the outer handles. Don’t have a rolling pin? Use the side of a firm cup to roll instead.

6. Use cookie cutters.

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Read the full article here.


Related products:

Glowing play dough - Special Needs Essentials Super Soft Modeling Dough - Special Needs Essentials Firm Theraputty - Special Needs Essentials

Rainbow Glow DoughSuper Soft Modeling DoughFirm Resist Theraputty