Two closed, see-through boxes each contain 16 brightly coloured beads (4 x 4 colours). Players use fingertips to move marbles, either making their own pattern or copying from a pattern card. Nine empty spaces allow for easy manipulation of the beads. Helps develop finger awareness, bilateral, and perceptual skills.
Start by shaking the game box which contains the coloured beads. Then, holding the box in both hands with thumbs on top, insert their fingertips into the holes in the bottom of the box in order to move the 16 beads into a pattern.
To place the beads in their correct positions in the box, children's fingers are required to move with considerable skill. In the early stages of play, encourage children to use all the fingers of both hands to position the beads. For more advanced skill development, nominate specific fingers. Read the patterns from left to right as for all reading activities.
For additional fun, race against an opponent. See who can complete a pattern first!
Skills developed:
improve fine motor skills by strengthening the small muscles of the eyes, hands and fingers
develop visual motor skills by learning to co-ordinate the movement of the eyes, fingers and hands
learn one-to-one correspondence - match the beads to the patterns on the Copy Cards
develop figure-ground skills - learn to focus attention on a specific component of the pattern
learn about sequencing and develop planning skills by arranging the beads in a set pattern
develop spatial concepts & finger awareness
learn to concentrate and compete.
Contents:
2 Finger Fun Puzzle boxes, each containing 16 beads
14 Copy cards
Great for keeping children occupied while travelling or waiting in doctor's rooms. A great resource for Occupational Therapists.
Recommended age: 4-10 years