Developmental Therapy Associates

11/12/2025

Separation of the sides of the hand is an essential fine motor skill for practically all functional tasks. This graphic has activity ideas to support each side of the hand.

🟣The purple side is the precision side, or dexterity side. Refined use of the fingers and joints on this side of the hand supports motor control needed for tasks like manipulating small objects with the thumb and finger, pinching a pencil, etc.

🔴The red side of the graphic is the power side of the support side of the hand. This is the strength and stability side which is needed to create the arch of the palm when completing precision tasks.

Here is an article for a better explanation and more ways to support separation of the sides of the hand: https://www.theottoolbox.com/separation-of-sides-of-hand-activity/

11/11/2025

GREAT resource for therapy putty (or play dough) exercises! We use these putty exercises for pinch and grip strength. And don’t forget to watch the wrist…keep it in neutral for proximal stability.

Source: unknown

11/06/2025

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10/30/2025

Use these games during SEL sessions, morning meetings, or small group interventions. Encourage reflection by asking:
- “What strategy helped you the most?”
- “How did you stay calm when it got hard?”
- “What would you try differently next time?”

10/18/2025

This is a great fine motor skill workout! Threading beads onto the turkey's pipe cleaner tail!

Source below.

10/17/2025

09/18/2025

This pencil grasp trick brings visual attention to a key joint involved with a functional pencil grasp. This super simple trick for helping kids hold their pencil with a more efficient pencil grasp is really so easy and one that will help promote thumb IP joint flexion and open up the thumb web space for more movement of the fingers while writing.

Pull out a washable marker. We chose red. You can pick a color that your child likes best. Scented washable markers might be fun for this simple activity, too.

Next, draw a single dot on the thumb IP joint of your child’s dominant hand. You want the dot to be on the inside of their thumb, so that when they make an “OK” sign with their thumb and pointer finger, they can see the dot.

What’s happening here? We explain:
https://www.theottoolbox.com/tripod-grasp-trick-better-pencil-grasp/

09/12/2025

🍂 Fall Fine Motor Activities
-Pick up acorns or small pinecones with tongs and sort into containers
-Crumple tissue paper into balls to make a fall tree craft
-Use clothespins to clip paper leaves onto string (leaf garland)
-Peel stickers to decorate pumpkins or paper cutouts
-Thread beads or pasta onto yarn to make “fall necklaces”
-Tear colored paper to make a fall collage
-Push small items (like pom-poms) into a pumpkin ice cube tray
-Use a hole punch on leaf shapes to create “leaf confetti”
-Transfer pumpkin seeds with tweezers or a spoon
-Practice tracing or drawing fall shapes (pumpkins, leaves, acorns)
-Wrap yarn around cardboard cutouts of pumpkins or leaves
-Use playdough to press in acorns, seeds, or leaf prints

Here are many more: https://www.theottoolbox.com/fall-fine-motor-activities/

09/03/2025

Life skills support executive functioning: https://www.theottoolbox.com/chores-and-executive-functioning-skills/

Here's a list of daily tasks and how they support brain skills:
🌿Chores- Teach responsibility, sequencing, time management, and persistence.
🌿Cooking & Meal Prep- Build planning, working memory (recipes/steps), and organization.
🌿Managing Money – Strengthens prioritization, decision-making, and foresight.
🌿Laundry & Cleaning – Support routines, task initiation, and self-monitoring.
🌿Time Management (schedules & alarms) – Grow planning, transitions, and flexible thinking.
🌿Homework/Project Planning – Strengthen goal setting, breaking tasks into steps, and working memory.
🌿Self-Care Routines (hygiene, packing a bag, bedtime prep) – Build consistency, independence, and foresight.
🌿Decision Making in Daily Choices – Strengthen impulse control, flexible thinking, and reflection.
🌿Problem-Solving Around Mistakes – Teaches resilience, emotional regulation, and adaptability.
🌿Community Tasks (shopping, errands, volunteering) – Build organization, prioritization, and real-world executive skills.