Play suggestions with the fidget craze Pop it
Author: Marieke la Verge
Pediatric exercise therapist and founder of Beweegwereld
Fidget craze
A fidget needs no explanation. You fiddle with it! The silicone material is wonderfully soft and the bubbles can be pressed. Just like with bubble wrap, only then again and again, you only have to turn the Pop it over and the fun can start again.
The bubble makes a popping sound.
But, this new fidget craze can also be used for fine motor skills games. Depending on the age and creativity of children, they will come up with it themselves. But for therapy or as a creative incentive, you can also suggest games.
Practice the pincer grip for your fingers with Easter eggs
All children enjoy playing with chocolate Easter eggs. The eggs fit just into the bubble troughs. Our eggs were just a little too big, so two next to each other didn't stay in place so well, so, always leave one free in between, which is quite a challenge during a round. Insight, creativity and force regulation are practiced in a playful way. The pincet grip is an important exercise as writing preparation.
In addition, you can of course also learn a lot about colors and practice counting. The most important question? Which color egg is the tastiest
Pop it as a finger trainer for typing lessons, piano, flute and guitar playing
When you first get your hands on the pop it, you will definitely start popping with your index finger. But when that first urge is satisfied, the other finger can of course also experience the fun of popping. First let them walk along a line from left to right and then from right to left. Variations will naturally arise and perhaps also orders. 1 x thumb, 2 x index finger, 1 x middle finger, 2 x ring finger and 1 x pinky for example.
Two-handed with two Pop it's
With a Pop it, it will probably be spelled with one hand by itself. A command can be to ask to pop with both hands. This will be understandable, visually stronger and more challenging with two Pop it's.
The movements can then be mirrored, both hands will simultaneously pop from the outside to the inside. This can be done with one finger, but also with more fingers. Just like typing with 10 fingers or playing the piano. Let the child think of routes themselves, all the way around on the outside or follow the straight lines. Totally random is the hardest. A big challenge for hand-eye coordination too.
Even more difficult, read more challenging, it becomes when the movements go in the same direction. So both hands from right to left. This requires a lot of thinking and coordination work and is very good to let the brain work hard.
Remember the old typewriters? From left to right you would write/plop the line and then jump back to the left with a “tsching” sound to write/plop the next line.
Beweegwereld has created free worksheets for the pop it
Pop it worksheets to stimulate the children in your practice with various fine motor skills, crossing the midline and spatial orientation. Replicate patterns with giant tweezers and pompom balls but also the other way around; colour a pattern of pompom balls. Together with Mieke from Praktijkopstap we made worksheets in actual size and in miniature for the round, square and octagonal Pop it's.
The worksheets are available in Beweegwereld .
