I think my favorite challenge as an OT (and lover of crafts) is to find an inexpensive, easy to find item and come up with as many creative uses for it as I can! Here is my take on popsicle sticks. I have gathered info from many sources and have come up with my own ideas as well!
1. Use it as a spacing tool for writing.
2. Create fun little puppets and use them in a creative puppet show.
3.Use large popsicle sticks to teach children letter sizing. They write the letters on the stick and can’t draw letters past it.
4.Use as a tool to underline.
5. Use as a pointer for reading. They double up as a bookmark.
6. Use them as counting sticks
7. Use popsicle sticks to make letters that contain straight lines only ex: A, E, F etc…
8. Put stick on velcro at the ends of the sticks and use them to create shapes and teach shape formation (click on the picture for the link to theviolethours)
9.Use it to draw letters in the sand or in various other mediums such as shaving cream
10. Use 2 popsicle sticks to make tweezers! Love this! (click on the picture for the link to impressyourkids)
11. “Walk” your fingers along the stick forward and back to teach finger isolation movements (needed for a dynamic pencil grasp)
12. Twirl popsicle stick (like when you twirl a pencil to the side of the eraser). Another important skills that requires isolated finger movements and therefore improves dexterity.
13.Create a really fun Math Game. Click on the picture to get details from swampfrogfirstgraders.
14. Use it for Brain Breaks Sticks! Click on the picture for details from heerenshappenings
