Fun Ways to Improve Hand Strength? No Puzzle to me!

I set this picture up in a way that would allow a photo. This is not really how I do this activity in the clinic. I have the parent sit on the 10” bench facing the child in the swing. In front of the parent is the 16” bench like a desk. I instruct the parent to hold down the puzzle with 1 hand. I have the parent hold one hand out for the child to grab a hold of. I put the puzzle piece down on the floor under the child in the swing. I am swinging the child. The child grabs the puzzle piece, and I tell her to grab her mother’s free hand when she swings up close to her mother. I remind her mother that the child is supposed to be doing the work. The child should be holding onto the mother…not vice versa. If the child is right handed, the puzzle piece will be in the child’s right hand. So the child’s left hand will be free to hold onto the mother’s right hand. The mother holds the puzzle down with her left hand. The child puts the puzzle piece in and then swings for the next piece. The further the excursion of the swing, the more the child has to fight with hand strength against gravity to keep from swinging back. To help the child get in the swing, I always have the child stand at one end and put her arms and then one knee in first. This helps keep the swing spread out. If the child can’t get in and I lift her in, I always have the parent on the other side ready to take her arms and help lay the child down in the right spot. Always pull of the net swing beyond the child’s knees and up to the child’s armpit. Make sure you have enough clearance. I remember a child at the clinic with another therapist who had the swing too low. On the back swing, the child caught her foot on the floor and broke her leg. Ahhh! I also check the height of the bench/puzzle relative to the swing before I ever put the child in. It is so much easier to change the height of the swing before the child gets in. Some kids are bad about hanging their head down in the swing, then the netting creeps back until the child is unsupported. Stop and pull the net back up to the child’s armpits. To get a child out, I simply lift up the front of the swing until the child’s feet are on the floor. She stands up, disentangles herself, and walks out of the swing.