Try this activity with your afterschool group this week.
Purpose: The purpose of this activity is to help students understand what it is like to have trouble with fine motor coordination, and how students with this difficulty need more time and practice to learn how to move and complete some activities.
Materials:
1. Thick socks and/or mittens
2. Students own shoes/sneakers (laces needed)
3. Optional: beads and string
Activity: Have students break up into groups. Have one or two students in each group put a thick sock or mitten on each hand (in the case of limited supplies, they can put a sock or mitten on only 1 hand). Have the students try to tie shoes and/or string beads. Have them then switch who wears the gloves/mittens, and who doesn’t while lacing and/or stringing beads.
Discussion points: What did it feel like not being able to quickly and accurately lace your shoes/string beads? How did it feel being around other kids who could? How would you feel if you always had this difficulty and people often laughed or stared at you? Discuss fine motor coordination difficulties in general, and how they can occur in students with intellectual disability, and also those who are just as smart as you!
