Making Puff Paint addresses several skills that are important for a child’s sensory motor development.  Here’s a breakdown of the therapeutic benefits of this activity.

Bilateral hand coordination:  Using one hand to hold a utensil while the other hand stabilizes the bowl is excellent practice for efficient two hand use.

Hand strength:  Stirring the batter and squeezing the food coloring or plastic bottles improves grasp strength.  Using your “pincher” fingers  (thumb and index finger) to zip the bag closed or picking up small decorations helps develop precision control and eye hand coordination.

Sensory Processing:  This activity can be messy!  However, you can adjust the level of messiness if a child has tactile sensitivity or challenges tolerating wet, messy textures.   Set out different “tools” such as a paint brush, Q-tip or even a toothpick to create designs.  Creating art can be a calming and relaxing activity to support self-regulation.

Social skills:  Taking turns, waiting and practicing conversation skills during this activity is a great way to practice social skills.  Plus, giving your art work to others or making a project for someone else is a super way to teach children that sharing is caring!