A) Play Dough/Putty Games
Recipes for Sensory Play at www.skillbuildersonline.com
or Therapeutic Putty at www.homecraft-roylan.com
1.
Making Play Dough
8.
Roll with Flat Hands
2.
Roll Little Balls
9.
Cut Different Shapes with
a Knife/Make Objects
3.
Squash between
Fingers
10.
Squeeze into 2 Big Balls
4.
Web Space Squash
11.
Push through Garlic
Crush/Syringe
5.
Rolling Snakes Between
Two Hands
6.
7.
B) Other Games
12.
Meccano
Sausage Loop
13.
Swimming
Rollers/Cookie Cutters
14.
Dragon’s Claw
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Hand Home Programme Three for:
Name:
Date:
Please read the ‘Home Programme instructions’ sheet before commencing with this programme.
A)
PLAY DOUGH/PUTTY GAMES
‘Recipes for Sensory Play’ are available for free at www.skillbuildersonline.com (click on Fine motor
skills and find ‘Free recipes for sensory play’ at the bottom of the page). ‘Therapeutic – Putty’ can be
purchased from Homecraft at Tel: 01623 754047, www.homecraft-roylan.com. Please ask your
Occupational Therapist to assess which strength putty you will need. (It is usually advisable to start
with ‘super soft tan’ or soft yellow and then to slowly upgrade.)
1.
Making Play Dough
Use hands and fingers to mix and knead dough.
2.
Roll 5 little balls with fingers of right hand only then with left hand.
(e.g. make eggs for a bird’s nest)
3.
Roll ‘play dough’ in a ball and then squash it between tips of the thumb and index finger.
Then do the same with the middle-, ring- and little finger. Try to do it at least 5 times with
each finger and then switch hands.
4.
Position the hands, palms down, flat on the table. Position a little ball of play dough in the
web space between the index and middle finger and squash the fingers together until it makes
a big dent in the play dough. Repeat 3 times and then do the same between all the other
fingers/web spaces.
5.
Rolling snakes between two hands. (Try to maintain 90 degrees at the wrists by lifting the
elbows.)
6.
Roll play dough out into a sausage shape on a table. Feel your fingers stretch as you push down
and forward on the play-dough. Straighten and lift up your fingers as much as you can as you
push and pull. Swap hands and then use two hands to roll as the sausage gets longer, until it is
about 8 inches long. Loop the sausage round to form a circle. (You need to overlap the ends
by 2-3 inches and squash the ends firmly together) Put the fingers of one hand through the
middle of the circle and stretch your fingers out straight until the loop breaks. Repeat with
the other hand.
7.
Rolling dough out with rollers. (You can get different sizes or patterned rollers)
Now you can make cookies using cookie cutters.
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8.
Rolling dough with flat hands on work surface or against a wall.
9.
Cutting different shapes with a knife and making an object of your choice.
10. Gently squeeze the play dough into 2 big balls and then squash in each hand.
11. Push dough through a garlic crush or icing syringe.
B) OTHER GAMES
12. Meccano/Any games with bolts and screws. (This helps with general fine motor skills
and rotation of the forearm.)
13. Swimming (Encourages general fitness, strength and range of movement in all joints)
14. Dragon’s claw: Try to make a claw with each hand 5 times.
Tick the activities you do every day on the ‘Games Record’ on the following page. This helps you and the
therapist to monitor how many exercises your child is doing.
We hope you have lots of fun!
Hand Home Programme Three – Play Dough and Putty Games
Author: Sunette Letley—Senior Occupational Therapist
Version 1; August 2006
© 2006 Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre
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