One of my favorite My Obstacle Course station activities is something I call, “Make the Same.â€Â This is a station activity that I came up with to help Andrew build imitation skills. After using it a few times, I realized that this activity not only helps with imitation, but also fine motor skills, visual and spatial planning, and is helpful if your child has toys that they do not play with (maybe it’s because they don’t know how!).  By breaking down the toy into smaller, more manageable tasks that they can copy, you can help build these play skills.
IÂ love the versatility of this activity. It is an activity that can incorporate almost anything, like blocks, pattern pieces, objects, stickers, shape drawing, and eventually letter and word writing.
It is so easy to set up and works on skills that provide the foundation for more complex skills needed in the future.  The basic idea is to make something, provide your child with the same parts or pieces that they will need to make what you’ve made and then work with them to make it.  When beginning, provide the exact blocks or pieces they’ll need and as they progress you can make it more challenging by providing more blocks or pieces so they have to choose only the ones they’ll need.
Here are some ways I have used it in past My Obstacle Courses:
These next two station activities could also be combined with a clothesline and clothespins to incorporate fine motor skill building.
A toy that had not been played with is broken down into manageable parts.
The great thing about “Make the Same” is that you can make it as basic as you need or as complicated as your child needs (right now I’m thinking Lego creations since we haven’t gotten into Lego-mania yet!).
Tomorrow’s post will be another version of “Make the Same” using some basic, easy to find materials to help your child with more intricate fine motor skills and planning.
Engage, Encourage and Empower!