Hand and Finger Strength – Activities with Playdoh

Squeezing, kneading and pulling playdoh or theraputty are useful to improve grip and finger strength. Theraputty are a stronger version of playdoh which comes in varying grades of resistance (e.g. medium or soft).

Playdoh or Theraputty activities:

	Mould playdoh into pretend animals.
	Make playdoh letters.
	Create pretend food with playdoh (e.g. pizza, spaghetti and meatballs).
	Hidden treasure. Use small items such as beads as ‘treasure’ and hide them into playdoh or theraputty. Encourage your child to use his/her fingers (index, middle and thumb) to find or hide the ‘treasures’.
	Cut playdoh sausages with scissors.

Playdoh or Theraputty exercises*:

 

	Make a mountain: Shape dough into a cone and stick it on a flat surface. Place fingers and thumb over the top of the cone. Lightly pull up the cone with fingers and thumb together to make a tall mountain.
	Squeeze: Place dough in the palm of hand. Curl up fingers to make a fist and squeeze the dough as hard as possible.
	Make a snake: Roll playdoh into snakes or sausages.
	Finger scissors: Roll up a ball of dough. Place the dough between two fingers. Squeeze two fingers together. Try to keep the fingers as straight as possible.
	Thumb and finger hide and seek: Shape the dough or putty into a large ball. Grasp it with your thumb pointing up, bend it, press it deeply into the dough/putty and pull it out. Repeat with the other remaining fingers.
	Squash bugs: Roll up a small piece of dough or putty. Squeeze it between each finger and the thumb.

*Images obtained from Developmental Occupational Therapy Western Australia (Handout: Playdoh Activities for Hand strength).

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