Tammy L. Belcher, MS, OTR/L
Warm up. Squeeze the Play-Doh in each hand.
Roll, Roll, Roll A Ball. With the child’s “three friends”-- the thumb, index and middle fingers – she or he rolls out small balls of clay. The child can use the balls to create art; bird’s nests, clusters of grapes and snowmen are classics. Or she may line up the balls to form letters and numbers. When creating the balls, make sure the child’s last two fingers are curled into his or her palm. If not, have the child hold a cotton ball or sponge (cut the size of a sugar cube) down with the ring and pinky fingers.
Stack ‘em Up. Ask the child to pinch the balls made above into disks using his or her thumb, index and middle fingers.
Topsy-Turvy. Again using the child’s “three friends,” instruct him or her to push a penny or Lite Brite peg into each of the small balls.
Play Hide and Seek. Both you and your partner make large balls of putty by rolling it between two hands. Then push 5 pennies into the clay—hiding each of them well. Reshape the clay back into a ball. Trade with your partner and dig out the pennies. Be sure that you and your partner use your fingers rather than flattening the ball with your whole hand.
Artist at Work. Roll out clay and use cookie cutters to make shapes. Play-Doh squeezed through a hand held spaghetti press might be used to create decorations and STRENGTHEN hands! OR flatten the clay into a pancake using your fingers. Cut it into shapes with scissors or a plastic knife. Draw details on the clay using a chopstick.
Roll with Imaginative Play. Roll the clay into two long snakes or coils using the palms and fingers of both hands. Form the Play-Doh coils into a pot or a cinnamon bun. When a child picks up a ball of Play-Doh, he or she is accepting an invitation to explore all kinds of possibilities.
