Build Writing Muscles with a Water Relay

What You Need:

• 2 medium sized plastic containers similar in size
• 2 sponges
• Pitcher of water

What You Do:

1. Set Up Outside:Each player needs a plastic container and a sponge. Place a pitcher full of water between the two players. You can use regular tap water, or add a few drops of food coloring, for a splash of colour.
2. Demonstrate:Show your child how to immerse the sponge in the pitcher of water, then run to his container, place the sponge over it, and squeeze until all the water is out. Explain that the point of the game is to run back and forth between pitcher and container, filling up the sponge and then squeezing it out, so you can fill your container to the top before your opponent does.
3. Go!It's time to play. Get all players to their marks and shout for them to begin. The person who fills their container first is the winner!

This activity may seem like pure hot weather fun, but it gives your child the opportunity to work on what teachers call "fine motor skills"-- the small muscles in the hands that make writing possible. Plus, it's just plain fun!