This year my school OT introduced a series of finger strengthening exercises from the OT closet. In this version, the exercises are set to a metronome beat.

I wanted to make these more meaningful and motivating, and include them as part of our daily circle time. To do this I decided to set them to words. You could use the rhyme at the start of a fine motor activity or at the start of the day to warm up fingers.

You can ask the children which exercise they like the best or which one is hardest for them. I always tell them that I like the squeezing hands part. If this makes them feel good they could also use it as a self regulation strategy. The children in my class loved the butterfly flying away part. It would become a daily competition to see who could reach up the highest with their butterfly.

The look action can also be used in games like I spy, or to practice looking carefully and focusing on details.