Pre-writers Club: Catch the Spider

How to Play:

Spread some of the stretchy spider web out in a space e.g. a doorway. Then, take it in turns to stand behind a line and throw the spiders at the web. The winner is the first to get 2 spiders stuck in the web. You can make it more challenging by using a spoon to catapult the spiders into the web.

You can find the spider web in shops like Poundland, B&M and supermarkets. If you don't have any, you could make a web using masking tape and use scrunched-up paper for the spiders.

Skills:

Gross Motor Skills – Throwing the spider helps to strengthen shoulder muscles. This will provide stability to allow controlled hand movements when children begin to write.

Fine Motor Skills – Untangling the spider from the web develops the pincer grip and hand-eye co-ordination which will help to hold and guide their pencil when they are ready to write.

Next steps:

Encourage them to start with two spiders in their palm and then move one to their fingertips without using their other hand. This is quite tricky!

In-hand manipulation – This is the ability to move and position objects within the hand without using the other hand. This skill will help them to be able to position a pencil correctly when writing.

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