Handwriting & Pencil Grasp

Shoulder and Wrist Stability-

  • Weight-bearing into the arms by crawling, crab walking, yoga poses, and donkey kicks

  • Drawing and coloring on a vertical surface (chalkboard, wall, easel, etc.)

  • Drawing and coloring on a clipboard on the floor 

  • Playing on a logo wall, magnetic, and refrigerator magnets

  • Lifting head briefly while lying on stomach (2 months-ish) 

  • Hand Strength-

    • Pegboard Games and Activities 

    • Bead Stringing and Lacing Activities 

    • Squeeze Water out of Sponges 

    • Play with Play Dough or Silly Putty 

    • Knead Cookie Dough 

    • Use Scissors to Snip Construction Paper 

    • Make Slime 

    • Connect Pop-Beads 

    • Games That Involve Tweezers or Tongs 

  • Developing the Arches of the Hands-

    • Weight-bearing into the hand during yoga or animal walks  

    • Rolling dice in the palm of the hand 

    • Making balls out of dough or putty 

    • Finger plays, itsy bitsy spider, making shadow puppets 

An efficient pencil grasp allows a significant amount of finger movement and does not fatigue the muscles of the hands. The most common “efficient” grasp is called a tripod grasp. The index finger and thumb pinch the pencil and the pencil rests on the tip of the third finger. To develop an efficient grasp, children need to move their fingers in isolation, develop good shoulder and wrist stability, and strong hand muscles. The following activities support the development of an efficient pencil grasp: