472 chapter 49
Games fitting pegs or blocks into holes help develop better hand control and
‘hand-eye coordination’. They also help the child learn to compare sizes, shapes,
and colors.
Drill holes in a
piece of wood and
cut pegs from
tree branches.
Or make a ‘size box’ by pouring
cement, plaster of Paris, or clay into
a mold. Or, make a ‘plaster’ box
out of cow-dung or mud mixed
with sand (and lime if you have it).
Press pegs into the wet plaster, and
remove when almost dry.
Or you can cut holes
in a cardboard box.
Glue an extra layer
of tough cardboard
on the top.
For pegs, use
bottles, scraps of
pipe, pieces of
broom handles,
bolts—or
whatever.
Also, make games
that help the
child develop a
twisting motion
in her hands and
wrists.
Other ideas
Blocks for building a tower on pegs
Make it
more fun by
putting a
face on the
top block.
Blocks can
be cut from
a thin log.
Paint them
bright colors
Animal stackers
tail made of
broom, stick
or rope
Cut rings from
a thin log or
bamboo.
hole to
fit tail
into
pegs
stick to fit
rings over
leather
or cloth
ears
Slide-on wire toys
To help develop fine control of hand movement, blocks, beads or animal figures can be
moved along a wire. Children with poor control need only move the figure from one side to
the other. Children with good control try to move the figure without touching the wire. The
more bends you put in the wire, the harder it is.
To make it more
interesting, match
the animal figures
with wooden bases in
the form and colors of
the place the animal
lives: fish in water,
squirrels in trees,
birds in flowers.
Disabled village Children