Enhancing Fine Motor Skills Using Building Brick Glasses

By: Caroline Naif

Dear Occupational Therapists, Teachers, Moms & Dads… these awesome building brick glasses are a great way to incorporate fine motor skills practice with some fun imagination for endless creative designs that is fun for all ages!!

Are you looking for a fun new way to practice fine motor skills at home or need to work on those pincher grasps? These building brick glasses are a perfect way for parent/child, OT/ patient, teachers in classrooms settings and even birthday parties to empower creativity and encourage the use of hands and fingers.

Adults and kids can create their own unique pair of colorful glasses by building onto them encouraging imagination and creativity with unlimited design options. The best part is the glasses are fully compatible with all major brands of building bricks.

Fine Motor Skills Activities

 

Activity 1: Sorting Colors & Shapes

Organization is key to creativity and design. A bin of mixed up building blocks may seem a bit overwhelming, so let's get organized before you start your glasses creation. Having a child put their hands in a bin of building blocks is a great sensory integration experience.The feel, movement, textures and sounds of the pieces are a great way to get the mind and sensory system connected.

The local dollar store has great options for organizing- small clear bins with lids or even a plastic veggie tray with multiple compartments are great for this activity. Begin by organizing the building blocks by color then by shape. Create a fun way to incorporate math and counting while you are organizing.

Example: Lets count how many orange pieces are in this container. How many green rectangle pieces are in this container?

 

Activity 2: Create & Follow Pattern Designs

Have one pair of glasses with a design already created and have your child, student or patient recreate your exact pattern design on their own glasses. This may take some time but, help by having the building blocks already laid out so it's easy to pick up the pieces to replicate. The design can be simpler with less pieces for younger children and more elaborate for older kids or adults who like a good challenge.

While the pieces are laid out for the design practice pincer grasp (with the thumb and index fingers) on both the left and right hands. Also while the pieces are laid out have a math problem set up. I love when I can incorporate the use of math, colors and shape sorting in my fine motor activities.

 

 

Activity 3: Imagination Play

Let's get creative and use our imagination. Have the kids build their own superhero glasses or themed glasses. The possibilities from each child and adult are so much fun and endless!

In classroom or group settings give each child a theme card and have them work by themselves or with a partner to create a fun unique design based on that theme. Ex. Star Wars, unicorn theme, holiday glasses or any unique design using only two colors etc..  Afterwards have a talent show of the students wearing their designs or have the glasses set out so the students and teachers can pick winners for the best creative designs.

Activity 4: Gross Motor & Fine Motor

Practice having the child or adult sit on a peanut or medicine ball while they are at the table building their glasses. A medicine ball is perfect for working the core, balance and stability while practicing fine motor skills. If a child is building their glasses on the floor have them side sit, tall kneel or criss cross sit. Posture and body control is important while doing fine motor activities. Encourage the use of both hands while building and be sure to focus on the weaker hand to help build strength and functionality. Have the student put three green pieces on with their weaker hand then change it up and focus on the other hand alternating back and forth.

Activity 5: STEM Education

STEM integration education with fine motor is a great way to incorporate problem solving, creativity, hand control and hand eye coordination into any activity.

Science: What can you create with only 20 pieces of building blocks? Visual planning of design with pieces, colors and shapes at hand.

Technology: Mobile or fixed pieces in the design, problem solving and design testing.

Engineering: The perfect balance of pieces as you build for stability in design.

Math: Counting building block pieces as you go.

 

 

 

 

I hope you are inspired by these five fine motor activities. I love when sensory toys and activities can be so much fun for all ages that help to enhance creativity, problem solving and imagination. Happy building friends. :)

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Caroline Naif is a super mom to an amazing cerebral palsy warrior, Briella.

Follow her and Briella's amazing journey on Instagram: @briellaandme 

and Facebook: Briella and Me .

Check out Briella's GoFundMe Page to help her achieve her wish to walk and talk. 

 

 

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