Fine Motor Table-top Play - The OT Toolbox (2024)

• Occupational Therapy

• byColleen Beck OTR/L
• May 30, 2013

This table top activity is a fine moor skill activity to develop pincer grasp. We loved using this activity to target pincer grasp, hand strength, eye- hand coordination, wrist extension, and more.

Tabletop activity

Tabletop activities refer to any kind of activity or game that can be played on a flat surface such as a table or desk. These activities often involve physical components such as cards, dice, game pieces, or puzzles. Examples of tabletop activities include board games, card games, puzzles, dominoes, chess, checkers, and tabletop RPGs (role-playing games), or the tape peeling activity we showed below.

This fine motor activity is a great way to build many small motor skills. From neat pincer grasp to hand strength and arch development, this indoor play activity is one that builds many skills in a fun way!

So, one morning, we had four kids in the house (Big Sister, Little Guy, Baby Girl, and my Niece and Nephew). They play well together. Most times. And then other times.. they argue, fight, agitate, and do all of the normal brother/sister/cousin-who-is-around-often-enough-to-be-like-a-sibling…things! This morning, they were in a mood. A we. need. to. get. outside. and. RUN. mood.

and since half of the kids were still in pajamas and therewere stillbreakfast remnants all over the dining room table…we played a little game.

We have acouple ofrolls of masking tape hanging around and this mama/aunt thought they would love to do a little picking on the tape.

instead of picking on each other!

They loved it! Picking at the edges of the tape is perfect for little hand’s fine motor dexterity. They are working the neat pincer grasp (tip-to-tip pinch of the thumb and index finger…think of the way you would pick up a very small bead or pin from a table-top)

table top activities for toddlers

It was sort-of like a puzzle, figuring out which piece of tape needed to pull up first. And then, when they pulled up an intersecting piece of tape, again working the fine motor skills to pull that piece up.

When all of the pieces of tape were pulled up, Big Sister played a word spelling game. She tore the tape into bits (…tripod grasp, working on small motor strength of the hand arches, and separating the two sides of the hand in a small motor task…)

I told her how tospell the word ‘CAT’and then gave her words that rhyme with ‘CAT’. She wrote the letter and put it in place of the ‘C’.

Agitating/arguing/sibling crisis averted. We put on play clothes and went outside!