Resistive putty is a great therapeutic tool in pediatric occupational therapy. When used during fine motor activities, it helps children develop hand strength, grasp patterns, bilateral coordination, and problem-solving skills. There are also many places to buy resistive putty in stores or online, Amazon carries a good product, Purchase it here. Below are some easy theraputty fine motor activities that you can do with your child that work on developing important fine motor skills!
Resistive Putty Fine Motor Activities
- Hide small items in the putty and have your child use both hands to pull it apart to find them
- Find 10 beads – after your child finds all of the beads, they can make a bracelet on a string or a pipe cleaner for continued fine motor practice
- Time challenge – use a timer to time your child while they remove 10 items from the putty, challenge them to see if they can beat their previous time!
- Find 10 coins – after your child finds all of the coins, they can insert them in a coin bank for continued fine motor practice
- Use both hands to roll out putty into a long line
- Form the lines into animals (Like a snake!)
- Cut the putty using scissors to also improve cutting skills
- Pinch along the line to give the putty “mountains”
- Form shapes or letters
- If your child is still learning shapes and letters, use a visual model or an outline for the child to copy
- Use the palms of both hands to flatten out putty into a flat surface
- Use an unsharpened pencil to draw pictures in the putty
- Use cookie cutters and push them into the putty
- Use paper or play dough stamps in putty
- Use alphabet stamps for spelling practice
Resistive putty is a great way to practice lots of important skills at home. It’s fun to play with, and also fun to make! Contact Chicago Occupational Therapy at (773) 980-0300 to learn more about our services and how we can help your child flourish and grow.
