Using Squigz
For strength and body awareness, a delightful popping sensation, grasping skills, and bilateral coordination
Squigz are a wonderful and fun way to get strength and proprioceptive input (a popping sensation) into fingers, hands and arms. They are suction cups that stick to each other or any smooth surface. I’ve used them on windows (even car windows!), mirrors, tray tables, and even on balls of various sizes (get creative, come up with your own games with them). They come in two main sizes. The larger ones are easier for young hands to grasp strongly, pulling essentially with arms or body weight. Because they are larger, they also offer more resistance, so can be difficult to dislodge when weakness is present. Squigz can be affixed to each other (suction cup to suction cup) a little off-center to reduce the resistance, or strength needed, to pull them apart.
The mini squigz are great for working on finger strength and grasp patterns using fingers and fingertips. They are easier to pull apart because their smaller size offers less resistance. Sometimes I will use them with younger kids because they pull apart easier than regular-size squigz, but they can challenge grasp patterns (which is good work on dexterity). I like having both on hand because I can attach a larger one to a smaller one and get an easy item to grasp (on one side) and less resistance to pulling apart because of the smaller suction cup on the mini squig.
For older kids, I’ve worked on imitation skills or creating representational items (like a person with body, arms, legs, head). I’ve even had an observant grandma start assembling little ones into a pattern reminiscent of a woven potholder (hmmm, nice work for older fingers and cognition, too!). Physical therapists that have worked with me have affixed them up high on a mirror or window to encourage going up on tiptoe to improve strength and balance. Needless to say, they can also be used to work on counting and sorting as well (by color/shape). Sometimes the simplest ideas provide the most creative fun.