PINCHIN' FINCHES
fine motor skills therapy toy
By pinching the big bird's beak to pick up worms and feed the baby birds, children improve muscular-skeletal strength and control in their hands. The toy would be introduced as part of treatment by an occupational therapist, but is inclusive in play with siblings and friends.
This project was designed during the Pratt + Fisher Price class in 2011 with a focus on therapeutic toys.
fine motor skills therapy toy
By pinching the big bird's beak to pick up worms and feed the baby birds, children improve muscular-skeletal strength and control in their hands. The toy would be introduced as part of treatment by an occupational therapist, but is inclusive in play with siblings and friends.
This project was designed during the Pratt + Fisher Price class in 2011 with a focus on therapeutic toys.
Fine motor skills start to develop when the child is 3 months old, starting with a fist grip. Development can slow around the pincer grip stage, and without occupational therapy, the child will have trouble performing more complicated tasks, such as writing or buttoning a shirt. Parents might not realize that the skill is delayed until their child's peers start writing and coloring. Pinchin' Finches intervenes at the "stuck" pincer grip stage around age 2-4 so the child can continue to develop more complex motor skills.
An existing tool for occupational therapy is the Royland Graded Pincher. Pinchin' Finches turns this repetitive exercise into a game. I developed the characters through hand drawing and 3D modeling.
