Inclusive Resource on Sensorimotor Child Development for Parents and Teachers

Trigger Toys: Strengthening one Finger at a Time

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Good fine motor dexterity requires each finger to get fairly strong and be able to move in several directions with ease.   The perfect motion to strengthen the pointer finger is pulling a trigger.  This posed a big problem for me.  I did not allow my own children to play with guns (OK so my boys constructed them with DUPLO’s LEGO’s and sticks and pretended they were something else when I asked…).  I have carried this principle to my practice and never included toy guns when working with children.

“Trigger Toys” like the tiger pictured, is the perfect solution!  This toy has a captivating cause effect action: squeezing the lever with the thumb or pointer finger closes the tiger’s mouth.

  • For a sensitive child,  the tiger can be a pretend friend; pressing the trigger makes the tiger talk.
  • For a child needing to act out some aggressive feelings, the tiger can roar and chomp away.

Benefits:

  • Strengthens the thumb and index finger muscles
  •  Cause and effect action reinforces continuous play, thereby increasing overall hand dexterity endurance
  • Improves visual attention
  • Great toy for imaginary play
  • By adding a “retrieving demand” the game turns into a great eye hand motor coordination and motor planning challenge!

Directions:

The photos above and below illustrate the two ways to hold this toy correctly.   It is important to have the thumb wrap around the base so the index needs to stretch a bit to reach the trigger.  The other fingers also need to be at the base or they will block the action of the trigger.

By turning the tiger towards the child, the thumb can be placed on top of the trigger and pull down.  This exercises the thumb and facilitates isolated movement of the thumb tip.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
You can build motor planning and eye hand skills by engaging in a game of “retrieving” objects:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

You can find similar toys at stores and online.  I like this one because the action is close to the lever.  Some toys have the trigger but there is a large stick attached and the feedback loop is not as direct.

 

 

 

 

Similar posts
  • A Shining Star! In our youth oriented culture, getting older tends to herald the decline of bodily functions and a wistful outlook, with memories of good times receding in the past. The silver lining of growing older, is that you get to witness how things turn out. In my case, I get to hear about the kids I [...]
  • Holiday Sponge Art Ten days ’til Christmas!  Planning simple holiday themed activities helps to channel some of that palpable energy.  The trick is to keep the projects simple. When kids’ sensory systems are overloaded with multi-colored lights, never-ending Christmas music and constantly changing routines, they don’t need any motor planning challenges. Activities that incorporate easy to do steps [...]
  • Push Pin Pumpkins Benefits: When the push pin is held correctly, the muscles required for grasping a pencil are strengthened. Both hands are used, thereby building the habit to use two hands while working. Visual attention is required to make sure the pin is exactly on the line. Dots should be close together, so simple spatial planning/reasoning is [...]
  • Pumpkin Relay The Core gets a great workout when you crab walk.  Activating all those muscles and joints also stimulates filters and organizing parts of the brain.  So, when the kids start to get really excited about Halloween, grab a few pumpkins and challenge them to a crab walk race. Along with the positive brain organizing effects, [...]
  • Elizabeth McKenna and The Power of Pl... An expert in the field of early childhood education, Elizabeth McKenna, joins us to discuss essential elements for success at school.  She has incorporated play as a core ingredient to the early childhood programs she has developed.  Here are some of her thoughts regarding play in education: In my twenty-five years in the field of [...]

No Comments Yet

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *