Squeezing sponges is a great activity for hand strengthening, so I came up with a game to play that incorporates the squeezing of the sponges.
This game will need to be played outside because it can get very wet. I wanted the kids to be able to squeeze the sponges on something that was upright, so I made some upright chalk board towers.
I bought some plastic popcorn containers at the target dollar spot, sprayed them with plastic paint primer, then painted them with chalkboard paint.
For the activity, I had the kids first draw a fire with chalk onto their chalkboard tower, and then we put them on chairs across from the water buckets. Then they had a race to see who could put out their fire first. They used sponges, dipped them in water, and then squeezed the water over the tower. By the end of the relay, the kids were all scrubbing the chalk off with their sponges.
This game would work on a regular chalkboard with a spray bottle and sponge, and you could keep it from being as wet.
Materials:
- Chalkboard towers
- Popcorn tubs
- Plastic paint primer
- Chalkboard paint
- Sponges
- Water
- Buckets
Skills:
- Hand strength
- Motor planning
- Sensory motor
- Visual perception
Latest posts by Therapy Fun Zone (see all)
- Getting Started with Distance Learning OT - August 21,
- Current Monthly Specials - July 28,
- Making button letters and names - October 27,
- Finding your letters on a keyboard - September 22,
- Prickly Animals for Fine Motor - August 18,
Here is a suggested video activity – Put out the Fire game http://yourtherapysource.com/sidewalkvideo.html. Similar to yours but incorporates gross motor skills as well.