The pincer grip is the ability to pick up very small items using the thumb and index finger in opposition. The development of this grip can follow a developmental sequence and should end up looking like this:
This grip is essential to develop as it is the basis for many functional tasks such as fastenings and tool use. It allows for greater dexterity and precision when picking up small objects and also helps encourage a strong and dynamic pencil grip to allow for better control and precision when writing. The activity ideas below aim to develop a pincer grip.
Activity ideas
- Use 1 cm pieces of chalk or short stubby crayons for mark making.
- Use clothes pegs or tweezers to pick up small items. Ensure they are held between thumb and first finger, and the middle finger should not assist. Items to be picked up can include: – sultanas, small pieces of paper, pompoms etc. You could time how many items can be picked up and put into a container in a set time. Once that is mastered, move on to chopsticks!
- Threading items such as large beads, pasta, cotton reals and then move onto smaller items. Using a shoelace to thread the items on.
- Picking up wooden bricks or barrels to make a tower.
- Pinch off small bits of playdoh with thumb and first finger then rolling into small balls using first and second finger.
- Hide small items in playdoh or theraputty then use thumb and first finger to pull out.
- With playdoh, plasticene or putty encourage child to form basic shapes, pinch with thumb and index finger to make spiky monsters.
- Remove stickers from sticker book.
- Printing stamps – encourage child to hold these using thumb and index finger.
- Bubbles – Use pincer grip to pop.
- Putting pegs into a pegboard, prompting the child to use a pincer grip.
- Turning pennies over or counters over or post them into a piggy bank.
- Play tug-of-war using a pen. Each player holds pen at either side with thumb and index finger and pulls.
- Using a toothpick held between thumb and index finger, poke into materials with different textures with tip of toothpick i.e., cheese, bread, playdoh.
- Give your child small bits of food when they are finger feeding such as cut up grapes, raisins, apple and carrots.
- Craft activities- cutting, gluing and sticking are all great activities to develop the pincer grasp in a fun and interactive way. Ripping and tearing paper or tissue to create a collage.