Sticker Squash Game

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This is a game that was submitted by a therapist, Marie Logan, OTR/L.

It is a simple game that is played on paper, and it is similar to the game Battleship.  During the game, you work on eye hand coordination and hand positioning, challenge diffierent grasp, and work on visual motor skills.

Set Up:
• Draw a grid on paper. Name columns #1-5 and rows A-D (i.e 5 columns, 4 rows)
• Tape the playing grid up on vertical surface (clip board, turn table on it’s side) and have players sit on either side.
• Secretly place 10 stickers at random on your grid. These are the stickers your opponent is trying to “squash”.
• Each player should have a marker to “squash” opponent’s stickers (mark off squares on their own grid).
• May sit on an exercise ball, balance board, or stool to challenge sitting balance

Rules:
• Players take turns calling out a location (i.e. A2) like you would in the game Battleship. If Player 2 has a sticker on the location called by Player 1, they say “You squashed me”.

• Player 1 should then use the marker to cross off the square that was called and earns a point or token (i.e favorite toy/item).
• If Player 2 does not have a sticker on that square they say “Miss”. Player 1 should still mark off the square to know that location has already been called. Then wait for their next turn.
• First Player to earn 10 points/tokens wins.

Therapy Tips:
1. Alternate marker size to target specific grasping positions: Dot-A-Dot Marker, Thick Marker, Thin Marker, Colored Pencil
2. Have child use their pincer grasp to remove and place stickers on the grid.
3. Practice the child’s fine motor and visual motor skills to draw straight grid lines and “X” shapes on the grid.

Materials:

• Paper
• Markers
• Stickers
• Tape

Target Skills:

• Grasp
• Wrist extension
• Upper Extremity Range of Motion
• Sitting Balance/Trunk Strength

You can check out some other activities that have been done by this therapy group.