Megan Bevington, MS OTR/L, an occupational therapist at Child and Family Development, contributed to the Fun in the Sun board in the Midtown lobby with a list of everyday and inexpensive tasks and activities that promote fine motor development and skills, including: 

1. Wash the car, wringing the sponges, squeezing the hose trigger and drying off with towels

2.  Water the plants with trigger spray bottles and hose controls 

3.  Play in the dirt and sand (the wetter the better), shoveling, digging and planting 

4.  Rake grass and leaves with a small rake 

5.  Pull weeds or cut them with scissors 

6.  Push and pull objects like a wagon or basket around the yard 

7.  Draw on the sidewalk with chalk

8.  Push seashells into the sand with thumb and index finger to make them disappear 

9.  Cut outdoor materials with scissors such as sticks, leaves, pine straw, then turn it into a work of art on card stock or cardboard

10.  Push golf tees into the lawn using pincer fingers

11.  Squirt water toys onto plants and grass 

12.  Cut resistive materials, such as paper plates, straws, sandpaper and bubble wrap, with scissors

13.  Paint using Q-tips, small sponge cubes or mini marshmallows  

14.  Create objects, like robots and funny shapes, by connecting toothpicks with marshmallows  

15.  Make homemade play dough, goo or slime, helping with pouring, mixing and stirring   

16.  Play finger tug of war with popsicle sticks, using pincer fingers and maintaining an open thumb web space between thumb and index finger that forms an O when holding a pencil

17.  Glue small beans, seeds, pieces of grass/flowers onto card stock to make a design

18.  Use party-favor size water paint sets to make a fun picture

19.  Pick up small stones and pebbles outside using resistive tongs, tweezers or a clothes pin

20.  Use eye droppers to drip different colored water onto paper

21.  Stack, sort and put coins into a container or balance them on a pencil lying on a table

22.  Help in the garage by screwing together nuts and bolts, with supervision of course

23.  Spin a top on the sidewalk or patio