One of the most popular posts here on The OT Toolbox is our 31 Days of Occupational Therapy Activities. It was a couple of years back that we shared 31 different occupational therapy activities using free or inexpensive materials. Since then, so many of you have checked out that list of activities. I wanted to expand on that series and add to your therapy toolbox using items you probably already have in your therapy bag. For that reason, we’ll be sharing lots more lists of therapy ideas using common items.
Today, we’ll be talking about occupational therapy activities using tongs.

Occupational Therapy Activities Using Tongs
Most therapists probably have a pair of tongs in their therapy closet or therapy bag. There’s a reason why! Tongs are so very versatile when it comes to occupational therapy activities. They can be used in a variety of tasks and play activities that develop strength, an open thumb web space, bilateral coordination, crossing midline, shoulder and wrist stability, arch development, separation of the sides of the hand, visual motor skills, eye-hand coordination, direction-following, and SO much more!
Check out the activity ideas using tongs below for fresh ideas that can be used in treatment with many individuals.
These tong activities would be a great addition to summer occupational therapy activities and home programs!
Occupational Therapy Activities With Tongs
Use tongs to work on intrinsic hand strength and visual motor skills.
Make your own DIY Tongs with craft sticks! So fun and always a hit in our house.
Tongs can be helpful in increasing the graded grasp and release needed for controlling scissors when cutting. These bunny tongs were used to promote scissor skills.
Kids can work on eye-hand coordination with tongs. The nice thing about an activity like this one is that a variety of tongs can be used based on the child’s age, fine motor skills, development, or the goal of the activity.
Go small-scale and use a set of tweezers or mini tongs to remove seeds from apple slices.
Tongs can be added to an occupational therapy activity kit depending on the needs of children on a caseload. Use those tongs to address many different needs and underlying skills!
Incorporate tongs into play to address fine motor skills. Use the fine motor tool in a variety of play experiences.
Use mini erasers in counting, sorting, and learning like The Crafty OT.
Use tongs to manipulate and move strands of yarn in a pasta pretend play activity like Ever Never Again. What a fun activity!
Use cut straws and tongs to strengthen fine motor skills like Mess for Less.

How can Occupational Therapy Activities Using Tongs Help with Development?
In SO many ways!
opposition of the thumb to the precision side of the hand. A round “O” shape
allows the thumb to rotate and oppose the pointer finger in pincer grasp activities.
hand and fingers that are used in play with children. Difficulties in using and
maintaining any certain grasp may interfere with tasks that require using the
hands.
- Lateral Pinch Grip (aka Key Pinch Grip)- The thumb opposes the lateral side of the pointer finger. This grasp is used when holding and and using a key. A sub group of this type of pinch is the Lateral Prehension Grip– The thumb is flexed (bent) and it’s pad opposes the lateral side of the tip of the pointer finger. This grip is used to hold an index card or paper, sometimes.
- Three jaw Chuck Pinch Grip– The thumb is flexed (bent) and opposes the pads of the pointer finger and middle finger. Holding a small cap like a toothpaste lid uses this grip. This is the grip used in holding a pencil.
- Tip to Tip Grip– The tip of the thumb touches the tip of the pointer finger. The thumb and pointer finger form an circle (or open thumb web space). This grasp is also called a pincer grasp. It is used to pick up small items like cereal or beads. If very small items are picked up (like a needle), a Neat Pincer Grasp is being used.
- Lateral Grip– Pinching an item between the pointer and middle fingers use this grip. You would use this grip in holding a cigarette. While this is not a functional grasp for kids (obviously), you might see kiddos fiddle with a pencil by holding it between two fingers.
carpometacarpal joint. Opposition of the thumb to the fingertips is essential
for tasks such as holding a hairbrush, managing buttons, and even grasping a door
knob. Thumb opposition coincides with an open web space in functional tasks.
objects of all shapes and sizes. There are two transverse arches that cross the hand at the
carpals and at the metacarpals. There is a longitudinal arch for each finger. These arches
allow for skilled movements of the hands and first develop during crawling. Arch development
is essential for manipulating small objects such as a writing utensil.
together in a coordinated manner. It’s coordinating both hands together and is closely related
to hand dominance. When a child has an established hand dominance, there needs to be a
fluid use of the two hands together.
Refined bilateral coordination skills allow a child to use both hands in separate tasks fluidly.
fingers are strength and stabilization of the wrist. Control in the wrist allows for
manipulation of small items and grasps with the fingers.
This is an optimal position for handwriting or tasks such as manipulating tongs.
Other activities like using a toothbrush or managing a utensil during feeding require
slight ulnar deviation. Stabilization of the wrist is essential in play and learning activities.
In order to allow precision of fine motor tasks, the wrist should be stabilized in extension
with precision tasks performed on a vertical surface, putting the wrist into optimal
positioning and facilitating thumb abduction for distal work to the fingers.

Best tongs for promoting fine motor skills in Occupational Therapy Activities
Occupational Therapy Activities Using Tong Games
