Young children love small, loose items like marbles, beads, and pompoms. Today, build on your child’s love of small things by practicing transferring using chopsticks!

Chopsticks are great for improving fine motor control, hand-eye coordination and concentration. Even adults sometimes have to concentrate to use chopsticks, so consider the task for a child! Great skill building.

If your child isn’t quite old enough to use chopsticks, consider tongs instead. Also, seek out children’s chopsticks that are connected by a rubber band or other connector on one end. You can even use a pair of restaurant chopsticks and a rubber band to make your own!

Here’s how to set up a transfer activity using chopsticks:

First, get two bowls. Fill one bowl with a handful of soft items like cotton balls or pompoms. The softer the item, the easier to pick up with chopsticks!

Next, show your child how to squeeze the chopsticks together to pick up a small item. Carefully transfer it to the empty bowl, then go back for more!

This activity has endless variations to fit your family’s interests. Invite your child to work with it often; it’s engrossing and skill building fun!

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