DIY Fine Motor Tongs Made With Chopsticks

I love to make Fine Motor Skills tools with ordinary things if I can, that's why I love these DIY Fine Motor Tongs made with Chopsticks so much. They are easy to make and fun for kids to use. These can be used for everyday simple fine motor skills activities, but could also be used for Chinese New Year fine motor skills activities! We've used all sorts of small materials with these for transferring tasks, but you could also make some felt sushi and have the kids practice using chopsticks for their next visit to your favorite Asian restaurant!

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The inspiration for these DIY fine motor skills tongs made with chopsticks came from our favorite Japanese restaurant. The owner brought our sons some chopsticks for kids made almost exactly like this, and I immediately thought about using these for fine motor skills activities. Before we left the restaurant, I asked for a clean pair of chopsticks to make this tutorial for you!

How to Make DIY Fine Motor Tongs with Chopsticks

Materials:

Clean pair of chopsticks
strip of paper (about 1 inch wide)
tape
rubber band
scissors

Directions:
Cut a strip of paper about 1 inch wide. Starting on the small end, tightly roll the strip of paper. Secure the end with tape.

Place the rolled up paper in between the chopsticks and twist the rubber band around--you'll need to go above and below the paper to secure it. I used trial and error (and some simple machine knowledge from elementary school) to figure out the best placement for the paper. You will need to leave some space at the top and move the paper down toward the middle. Play around with the placement and the thickness of the paper roll.

Once your Chopstick Tongs are working, it's time to start playing! Have your tot transfer pom-poms, cotton balls, etc. to work on their pincer grasp (handwriting muscles).