Hand control and fine motor coordination are imperative for everyday self-care and household tasks as well as for play activities. Quite often, when a loved one has had a stroke or other neurologic event, brain injury, or condition, these abilities are diminished. Sometimes, these skills can even be delayed in children. Here are a few hand therapy ideas that are easy to implement at home for improving fine motor coordination and hand control in adults.
Stroke Therapy and Brain Injury Therapy Fine Motor Coordination Activities
Grab an empty sour cream or chip dip container and put a slit in the top of the lid. This can be your “fine motor activity” storage container for many of the following activities and ideas.
Throw in some small items from around the house for the following hand therapy and coordination activities:
- Paperclips can be placed together to make a chain or placed onto the edge of a card.
- Buttons and coins can be picked up with your thumb and index finger and manipulated back into the palm and then they can then be placed, one at a time, into the slit on the lid of your container.
- Coins and playing cards can be flipped over one at a time using your thumb and index fingers.
- Rubber bands can be placed around a plastic water bottle or placed around the tips of your fingers as you try to straighten your fingers.
- Using your thumb, index and middle finger for tweezers or chip clips is a great way to strengthen those fingers while picking up beans or pasta.
These seemingly simple tasks can really work the small muscles that control your hand and can help improve fine motor coordination skills needed to perform everyday tasks. These simple ideas can be done while watching TV, during a lunch break, or as a game to engage the whole family. The important part is to keep practicing and have fun while doing it! Contact Niagara Therapy LLC to schedule an occupational therapy appointment and learn more hand control therapy techniques to do at home.
