Develop Pincer Grasp With Ziploc Bags

Toddlers love snacks.  OTs love refining a child’s grasp.  Mash the two together and you get….the Ziploc snack bag.  Try serving a tiny portion of your child’s fave crunchy snack in a small bag that has a zipper closure and watch their fingertip control take off!

Here are the important points to make this safe and successful:

  • Use the smallest zipper bag you can find.  If it is large enough to cover their face or head, it is unsafe.
  • Place only a few pieces of the snack inside.  Why?  If I gave you one goldfish cracker you would use your fingertips to take it out.  If I gave you 20, you would reach in and pull out a fistful.  So will your child.
  • Always offer more snack servings,since each serving size is so small.  You will seem like the most generous person they know.
  • Close the bag after filling it.  Children actually enjoy the experience of mastering the little zipper.  It is a little moment of control in a day where everyone is telling them when to go potty, when to nap, and when to get in the carseat.  This is a moment of control!

By Cathy Collyer

I am a licensed occupational therapist, licensed massage therapist, and certified CBT-i sleep coach in private practice in the NYC area. I have over 25 years of professional experience in adult and pediatric treatment. It has been a joy to help people of all ages improve their ability to grow and thrive! Occupational therapists are focused on enhancing a client's functioning in everyday life. We are practical healthcare providers, interested in teaching, adapting actions and environments, and building a client's useful skills for living their best life, regardless of their challenges. I am the author of five books, including "Staying In The Room: Managing Medical And Dental Care When You Have DID" and "The Practical Guide To Toilet Training the Autistic Child". I lecture on many subjects, including sleep, trauma, and development. Contact me to learn more about how I can help you achieve YOUR goals!

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