Affiliate Links

Part 2 of three: “Soap dispenser” Continued from part 1:

Soap dispensers come in all shapes, sizes and access methods. There are disposables pumps that are kept on your counter and commercial dispensers that hang on walls. How we actually access the soap from inside the pump requires different fine motor skills that include hand strength, finger dexterity/ strength, pronation/ supination, wrist flexion/ extension, bilateral hand coordination, grading movement and more. To make things more complicated, these dispensers come in different sizes that the child has to generalize the skills too.  Let’s take a moment to appreciate all the practice and skill it takes to actually get that soap onto your hands!

Wall Dispensers:

This dispenser hangs vertically with soap dispensing at the bottom.  Check out below all the different access methods for vertical mount below (i.e. hold hand under, push, pull, single finger press, etc.).

Countertop Soaps and Dispensers:

These almost always require using two hands and grading movement. Again, all different access methods such as; squeezing, rubbing, rotating, pressing, pushing, etc.

The “Art of Hand Washing” Part 1 of 3:

Part 1 – “The Faucet”

Handwashing is in the top 3 independent/ self-care skills teachers want for preschool and kindergarten. Let’s take a second to think about (and appreciate) the steps of handwashing. This skill is more complex than we give it credit for. Handwashing requires many repetitions and practice to master. We adults take for granted how easily we generalize washing our hands from our home to work to public restrooms. All of these faucets require different fine motor skills from: bilateral coordination, grading, different grips and grip strengths and so much more.  Find out what kind of faucet your child’s school has and get some practice in before the start of the school year!

Part 1 – The Faucet:

The only thing that is “the same” about faucets, is that water (usually) comes out of the spout. Think of all the faucets out there and how many different ways there are to turn the water on and off all while adjusting the temperature. Each faucet has its own method to its madness! Below, check out some of the faucets we found from needpix.com:

Here is a list of our Fine Motor Boot Camp activities that will help your child build the skills necessary for managing faucets. 

1. Twisting and opening containers helps with turning on knob faucets:

Activity C-13 “Pom-Poms & Jars”

Activity E-22 “Color Pill Jar & Pom-Poms”

2.  Pull up type faucets and knob type:

Activity E-23 “Color Snap Stackers”

Activity D-20 “Tennis Ball and Alphabet Beads”

3. Pull up/down faucets and two handle push/pull faucets:

Activity A-1 “Paperclips & Popsicle Sticks”

Activity B-6 “Letter Stick & Clothespins”

Activity B-7 “Coin & Slot Can

Activity C-14 “Number Clothespins”

Activity D-16 “Colored Clothespins & Sticks”

Activity D-19 “Oh Snap”