In-hand manipulation involves manipulating an object within one hand. The fingers and thumb are used to best position the object for the activity. For example, picking up a pen and moving it into position with your fingers for writing. Some daily activities in-hand manipulation is used for include: positioning a pencil when drawing; adjusting the paper when cutting with scissors; doing up buttons; tying shoelaces and using a knife and fork. In-hand manipulation is one of the most complex fine-motor skills. Children who have difficulty with in-hand manipulation may be slow or unable to complete some everyday activities.
In order to rehearse and improve in-hand manipulation with my Kindergarten students I offer this simple activity during our fine-motor afternoon activities. My three and a half year old and four year old daughters also love this activity at home. The children think they are playing a game but I also explain to them that it is helping them learn to move a pencil into a different position in their hands, an important skill for a writer.
I have covered a baby formula tin and cut a slot in the top. I had some old counters from a game that most of the pieces were lost from. I have written the options of 1, 2 and 3 twice each on a blank dice with a permanent marker.
The children choose their preferred hand and then put the other hand behind their back. They roll the dice and using just one hand pick up that number of counters and post them in the tin. The game is not a competitive one; there is no winner, which is something else I like about this activity. Two children can just enjoy the challenge of developing a skill without trying to beat each other.
It can be quite tricky manoeuvring the counters into a position within your hand to enable it to fit into the slot. The children need to really concentrate when completing this task. My experience has found that children love a challenge therefore challenge=fun!
About Kate and her blog: “I am a mother of five beautiful children currently aged 16, 14, 4, 3, 6 months. She work full-time as a kindergarten teacher. My husband is also a teacher and we make an awesome team. On weekends we care for foster children when they have respite from their permanent carers. It is an incredibly busy life but we wouldn’t have it any other way. Ponderings Possibilities and Provocations is a blend of Early Childhood education ideas and philosophy, hot topics in Early Childhood and family stories of life with my young children.”
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