How to Make A Squeeze Ball for Kids
Are you looking for a fun and easy activity to engage your preschooler? Learning how to make a squeeze ball for kids is the perfect choice! These DIY stress balls are great for sensory play and can help kids develop fine motor skills.
Plus, they’re super fun to make and play with. This tutorial will show you how to create squeeze balls for hand strength using simple materials you probably already have at home.
With just a few household supplies and this simple step-by-step tutorial, you and your kids can whip up a few squeeze balls quickly!
Benefits of Squeeze Balls for Preschoolers
Squeeze balls are excellent for developing fine motor skills and hand strength. They also provide sensory stimulation, which can be soothing for young children. Additionally, squeeze balls can help with focus and concentration, making them a great tool for calming anxious or fidgety kids.
Are these stress balls safe for all ages?
While they are safe for preschoolers, always supervise young children to prevent choking hazards.
How to Make a Squeeze Ball
Before we discuss how to make a squeeze ball, let’s consider why you might want to. Fidgety kids can be difficult to teach. They’re distracting and often distracted. Giving them something tactile to manipulate while you teach can help them refocus and stay focused.
Children with poor fine motor skills may also benefit from a fidget ball. Squeezing and stretching a fidget ball can help them build hand and finger strength. This, in turn, can help with handwriting. It’s a win-win!
Anxious and nervous children can also benefit from a stress/fidget ball. For months, while dealing with our journey to a diagnosis for my daughter, she carried putty in her purse and backpack. She had it near her almost all the time.
When anxious, she’d pull it out and begin squeezing and stretching the putty. This gave her something tactile to focus on as she worked on managing her anxiety and stress levels.
What You Will Need:
- decorative balloons
- flour or cornstarch
- empty water bottle
- funnel
- spoon
Directions
Put a clean, dry funnel into a clean, dry water bottle. If there is moisture in either, the flour will stick to it.
Pour a half-cup of flour through the funnel into the water bottle.
Stretch a balloon around the opening of the water bottle. Be gentle so you don’t rip the neck of the balloon.
With the balloon still attached, turn your water bottle upside down. Gently squeeze the flour into the balloon. Make sure to use some pressure because the air helps the balloon open up so the all of the flour will go in.
Once you’ve got all the flour in the balloon, pinch the balloon and release it from the bottle. Again, take care not to tear the neck of the balloon.
The balloon should have a snug fit to the flour inside it. Gently squeeze the balloon to make sure there isn’t any extra air the balloon. Don’t squeeze too hard or all of the flour will “poof” out. But, you want all the air out so the balloon won’t pop.
Tie the balloon and wipe away any excess flour on the outside.
Squeeze Ball Exercises for Hands
Squeeze balls are excellent tools for hand exercises, aiding in strengthening muscles, improving dexterity, and enhancing grip. Here are some simple exercises you can try:
Basic Squeeze: Hold the ball in your palm and squeeze it as hard as you can. Hold for a few seconds, then release. Repeat 10-15 times.
Finger Pinch: Pinch the ball between your thumb and each finger, one at a time. Hold for a few seconds, then release. This helps improve finger strength and coordination.
Rolling: Place the ball on a table and roll it back and forth with your fingers. This exercise is great for increasing finger flexibility and coordination.
Thumb Press: Hold the ball in your hand and press it with your thumb. Hold for a few seconds, then release. Repeat 10-15 times to strengthen the thumb muscles.
Grip Hold: Squeeze the ball and hold the grip for 10-15 seconds before releasing. This exercise helps build endurance in hand muscles.
Incorporate these exercises into your routine to see improvements in hand strength and dexterity. Squeeze balls are also helpful for stress relief, making these exercises beneficial for both physical and mental health.
Making squeeze balls is a fantastic, hands-on activity for preschoolers with numerous developmental benefits. Whether you use them for sensory play, stress relief, or fun, your kids will love these homemade squeeze balls. Remember to check out our free printables to add a personal touch to your creations!
Tara is the brains behind Homeschool Preschool, where her journey from preschool and public school teacher to homeschooling mom of three fuels her passion for early childhood education. With a blend of expertise and firsthand experience, Tara’s writings offer practical tips and engaging resources to support families in creating meaningful learning adventures at home.