Creating Pictures with Magnets and Stencils

Here is a simple to make and use fine-motor activity for children or individuals with disabilities of any age. All you need is
1) A magnetic surface
2) Small magnetic pieces
3) A stencil
I happened to have flat magnetic puzzle boards that were too difficult for many of my clients to use so I cut them up into the small yellow, red and blue pieces that are shown in the video. You may purchase pretty magnets or plain ones that you pretty up with tape. Individualize according to your child or client’s fine motor abilities. I made very easy to use fish and heart stencils to fill up with magnets. However, you can increase the challenge by using more intricate stencils and/or smaller magnets. Perhaps the individual will create designs with the colors. Easter eggs would be perfect if working on a theme!
Obviously small magnets create a choking risk for the very young and others who put objects in their mouths. For the safe users- peeling small magnets off surfaces is a great way to strengthen fingers and develop dexterity---the motor control required to use a pencil. Use stronger magnets to increase challenge!
Working in the vertical plane strengthens the arms and shoulders and promotes visual attention. Consider working on a refrigerator or metal file cabinet, magnetic white board attached to a wall or place a small magnetic white board on a book stand. Removing the magnetic pieces when finished also works on finger dexterity. The one drawback I found was that once this activity is finished there is no remaining work to hang on the wall. I took photos of my clients holding their finished products (at their request) so that they could have a memento. A few other bonuses to this activity:
1) There is no paint or other mess, not that anything is wrong with messes, but this is so easy to clean up!
2) Materials can be used repeatedly. Consider laminating homemade stencils if you want to reuse them.
3) Making new stencils is super quick and easy and your child or client may help you make them….
4) This activity teaches individuals to discriminate correct and incorrect since the magnets will not stick if the wrong side (black magnetic side) is showing or the magnets are piled up on top of each other.
5) This activity can keep an artist busy for a long time when using a large stencil and many small magnets. Some children and adults love to be busy. Adapt according to their attention span.

I love the “WOW” factor when the stencils are removed. Adapt this activity for your child or client’s needs and you will all have a fun, learning experience!

Learn more about activity adaptations on my website and blog:
http://www.RecyclingOT.com
http://www.RecyclingOT.blogspot.com
http://www.FromFlappingtoFunction.com