The pincer grasp enables a child to pick up small items using the thumb and index finger and is important for tasks such as holding writing implements and manipulating items such as zippers, buttons and shoe laces. The pincer grasp allows for a more refined and neater way to complete tasks with ease. Prior to this, a child will pick up a small objects such as food in a raked like scoop action into the palm by the fingers.

This activity provides an opportunity to explore creativity and promotes the development of coordination and concentration.

This activity provides various learning opportunities:

1. Fine Motor Development – pincer grasp
2. Hand-Eye Coordination and Control
3. Concentration
4. Language development – describing what is happening
5. Mathematics – counting, volume and capacity
6. Creativity and imagination

Steps:

1. Using an eye or medicine dropper, ask your child to suction the water (you can add food coloring to make it interesting)
2. Have him carefully drop the right amount to fill each suction cup of a bath mat section or onto the circular grooves of lego blocks or bottle caps!
3. Keep a cloth or tissue handy for a little bit of mess!

Suggestions:

You can improvise the activity to build in some 'Math' fun in the following ways:

1. Count how many drops it takes to fill a suction cup/ bottle cap
2. Fill a large bottle top lid and then transfer water from this lid to a smaller one. Talk about what happens.
3. Transfer water from a small lid to a larger lid. How many small lids fit into one larger lid? How many more drops do you need to finish filling up the large lid.