Popper â Dino
Popper – Dino Proprioceptive Input (“heavy work”) Hand Muscle Strength & Fine Motor Development Soft foam flying fun! Just squeeze the belly to launch the soft foam balls. The harder the child squeezes, the further it shoots. Safe for indoor and outdoor play. Penguin Popper, Cow Popper and Dino Popper also include 6 soft foam balls and a convenient carry net. Ages: 3+ Who needs and benefit from Squeezing Activity: FOR ALL KIDS who: • • • • • • • •
have difficulty sitting for short or long periods of time; who need to improve hand strength for writing who need to improve pencil grip who get distracted easily; who have tactile sensitivities; who have trouble concentrating; who could use some help with relaxation; who have difficulty with calming down;
Activities: Grab the Cow by the mid-section and give him a firm squeeze. That sudden burst of air pressure shoots out a soft foam ball up to 20'. The harder you squeeze, the faster and farther the ball launches out. Tip: Use masking tape to make a target on the window/wall – aim for the target. Put hula hoop/bucket on floor or hold up, and child aim for the target.
Heavy work activities (i.e., proprioceptive input) are used for children with sensory processing difficulties to help increase attention, decrease defensiveness, and regulate arousal. Proprioceptive input is the performance of tasks that involves heavy resistance and input to the muscles and joints, and is essential in helping our bodies assimilate and process both movement (vestibular) and touch (tactile) information. This resistive input obtained through heavy work activities is generally organizing and can improve attention, arousal level, body awareness and muscle tone, as well as decreasing defensiveness. Children interact with their environment by moving and touching objects within it. Using fine motor skills to manipulate objects gives the child perceptual information necessary for the child to efficiently make sense of their environment. Fine motor skills involve the use of small muscles of the body that enable movement and functions such as handwriting, grasping small objects (putting a coin in a piggy bank), and fastening clothing. Weakness in fine motor skills can affect the child’s ability to eat, write legibly, use a computer, turn pages in a book, and participate in self-care activities such as buttoning a shirt or zippering pants. Fine motor skills not only involves manipulation of small muscles, particularly of the hand, but also coordinating the action of the eyes and hand together known as eye-hand coordination. An upright work surface promotes fine motor skills; therefore, having your child draw on a chalkboard, easel, or even have your child engage in games such as squeezing & target practice with the poppers. Fine motor skills become increasingly important when it is time for your child to learn handwriting.
have difficulty sitting for short or long periods of time; who need to improve hand strength for writing who need to improve pencil grip who get distracted easily; who have tactile sensitivities; who have trouble concentrating; who could use some help with relaxation; who have difficulty with calming down;
Activities: Grab the Cow by the mid-section and give him a firm squeeze. That sudden burst of air pressure shoots out a soft foam ball up to 20'. The harder you squeeze, the faster and farther the ball launches out. Tip: Use masking tape to make a target on the window/wall – aim for the target. Put hula hoop/bucket on floor or hold up, and child aim for the target.
Heavy work activities (i.e., proprioceptive input) are used for children with sensory processing difficulties to help increase attention, decrease defensiveness, and regulate arousal. Proprioceptive input is the performance of tasks that involves heavy resistance and input to the muscles and joints, and is essential in helping our bodies assimilate and process both movement (vestibular) and touch (tactile) information. This resistive input obtained through heavy work activities is generally organizing and can improve attention, arousal level, body awareness and muscle tone, as well as decreasing defensiveness. Children interact with their environment by moving and touching objects within it. Using fine motor skills to manipulate objects gives the child perceptual information necessary for the child to efficiently make sense of their environment. Fine motor skills involve the use of small muscles of the body that enable movement and functions such as handwriting, grasping small objects (putting a coin in a piggy bank), and fastening clothing. Weakness in fine motor skills can affect the child’s ability to eat, write legibly, use a computer, turn pages in a book, and participate in self-care activities such as buttoning a shirt or zippering pants. Fine motor skills not only involves manipulation of small muscles, particularly of the hand, but also coordinating the action of the eyes and hand together known as eye-hand coordination. An upright work surface promotes fine motor skills; therefore, having your child draw on a chalkboard, easel, or even have your child engage in games such as squeezing & target practice with the poppers. Fine motor skills become increasingly important when it is time for your child to learn handwriting.
