Find resources / Activities / Using tongs Activity

• This activity helps to strengthen fine muscles in the hands.
• It strengthens hand-eye co-ordination as the child needs to carefully watch what’s being picked up and where it’s being put.

• Success with using the tongs gives children a sense of satisfaction and enjoyment, and that builds confidence.

You’ll need:

• some kitchen tongs
• things to pick up with the tongs such as cotton balls, milk bottle tops and any other small, safe objects
• containers to hold and transfer object to and from

•  Give the child the tongs and the things to pick up and see how they explore them.

• If you need to, model how you can pick things up by grasping them with the tongs and show them how to move something from one place to another.

• When they’ve had enough of doing this, see if upping the level of the challenge can re-engage them. Try to pick up other objects which are a different size or shape, such as shells, stones, twigs, or teaspoons.