strengthening our hand muscles

There are over 25 muscles in your forearm and hand.  The muscles in the forearm control elbow, wrist and finger movements.  Smaller muscles within the palm of the hand control the more refined movements of the thumb and fingers.  Activities used to strengthen the small muscles of the hands involve materials and tools that provide resistance.  Today, the children used bottles of glue to make snowmen with cotton balls.  Using the small muscles in their hands to squeeze the glue provided an opportunity to strengthen these muscles.

When the large and small muscles of the forearm and hand are slow to develop, weakness and in coordination may result.  The large muscles of the forearm may overcompensate for weak inner hand muscles.  As a result, the child will find ways to hold, pinch and grip small objects in awkward ways.  This may cause difficulty with:

• picking up small items (bits of food, Cheerios, coins, etc.) using the pads and tips of the index finger and thumb.

• holding a pencil, crayons and markers with a 3 or 4 finger tip pinch

• holding and using feeding utensils effectively

• fastening closures (zippers, snaps, buttons) on garments easily

• using scissors

• manipulating small items within the hand (e.g., transferring coins within the palm out to the fingertips).

Using clothes pins is another fun way to strengthen hand muscles:

• Use the pads of the thumb and index finger to open the clothespin rather than pinching it open against the side of the index finger
• When pinching open, try alternating each finger to squeeze opposite the thumb.
• place clothespins along the top of a container and then on top of each other to construct a design.
• Pick up small objects with the clothespin: cotton balls, pompoms,crumbled paper, beads, pegs, etc.
• Attach several clothespins along the bottom hem of shirt and then pull them off.
• Place clothespins around an index card
• Hang up pictures or plush toys on a string, like a clothesline.