Crumple and Tear

Beginning Writing | 12 to 17 Months
 

Prep: 5 Minutes | Activity Time: 5–7 Minutes

Your child at this age may begin to isolate fingers to perform different tasks. Finger isolation helps your child develop fine motor and eye-hand coordination and increases strength in fingers for drawing and writing. A fun activity to help your child work on the fine motor muscles needed to use for writing and drawing is ripping and tearing up magazines and/or paper. 

  • Old magazines 
  • Paper 
  • Old wrapping paper 
  • Empty tissue boxes 
  • Shoe box 
  • Empty baby wipe containers

Step 1: Show your toddler how to tear and crumple a piece of paper. Hand the paper to your toddler and let him try. 

Step 2: Show your toddler how to pick up the crumpled piece of paper and drop it into different containers like empty tissue boxes, shoe boxes and empty baby wipe containers.