Therapy Putty can be used to improve grip strength, dexterity, and hand strengthening through finger, hand, and wrist resistive exercises. Medium strength putty is recommended for the below exercises however your child’s therapist can advise if a softer or firmer putty is required.
Advice and Precautions
Wash your hands before and after using the putty to keep it clean and maintain its strength.
Place the putty on a clean smooth surface when using.
When the putty is stretched too much, it can break down into small pieces. Care should be taken with these, as they can stick to carpets and clothing. To remove fine bits of putty from the surface you are using, dab the area with a large blob of putty.
If the putty becomes too warm or sticky, place the putty in its tub and put it in the fridge.
Keep the putty in its tub when not in use.
Do not eat the putty, or leave it near young children or pets, and keep it away from hair, clothes and other fabrics.
Activity Ideas:
1. Make your name:
Hold the putty with both hands and roll into a ball. With the thumb and finger pads of your preferred hand, pinch off small pieces of putty by twisting and pinching the end of the ball. Roll small pieces into small pea shapes and then roll these into long sausages. Use the long sausages to make your name.
To increase the difficulty you could ask the child to make various letters, numbers and shapes
2. Hide and Seek:
Try hiding small objects (beads, marbles, coins) inside the putty and then try pulling and pinching them out.
3. Finger Spread:
Roll the putty into a ball using both hands.
Place the ball on a table and flatten the ball to make a pancake by placing one hand flat on top of the other and arms straight.
Pick up the pancake from the table and close one set of fingers together whilst extended.
Place the pancake over the top of fingers and thumb and open them out as far as you can.
4. Doughnut Stretch:
Roll putty into a ball using both hands. Roll the ball in to a snake. Squish/fasten ends together to form a doughnut.
Place putty loop around fingers. Stretch loop by opening at large knuckles only. Keep the thumb still and finger straight.
Complete with both hands.
To increase the resistance, make the doughnut thicker or use a higher resistance putty.
5. Mini Doughnut Stretch
Roll putty into a ball using both hands. Roll the ball in to a snake. Hold the index finger and thumb together and wrap putty round them to form a doughnut shape.
Stretch the finger away from the thumb. The thumb can be stabilised against a table top.
Carry out with the thumb and the next finger (until all fingers (e.g., index, middle, ring and pinkie) have been used.
Carry out exercise with both hands.
6. Finger Scissors
Roll out a small amount of putty into a ball.
Spread your fingers and place the small ball shaped putty between index and middle fingers and then squeeze until the finger meet. Repeat and carry out the exercise with all fingers and complete with both hands.
7. Pinching
Roll the putty into a sausage type shape on the table.
Using the tip of the thumb and index fingers, start pinching with the fingers held vertically above the putty, and continue to pinch along the entire sausage. Roll out a new sausage and repeat instructions above with the tip of the thumb and the next finger (until all fingers (e.g., index, middle, ring and pinkie) have pinched the sausage of putty). Carry this exercise out twice with both hands.
8. Finger Press
Roll the putty into a sausage shape on the table.
Push the index finger into the putty repeatedly along the entire length of the sausage. Roll out a new sausage and repeat instructions until all fingers (e.g., index, middle, ring and pinkie) have been pushed into the sausage of putty. Carry out exercise with both hands.
9. Making Therapy putty animals:
- Make a caterpillar
- Make a snail
- Make a spider
- Make a crocodile
- Or invent your own.
Therapy putty suppliers:
- Amazon
- TTS Group
- Sensory Direct
- NRS Health Care
How to Choose the Right Therapy Putty:
There are a lot of therapy putty options and resistances for your child. Having a variety of putty types at home helps mix up your child’s hand therapy routine and makes grip and finger strengthening more fun. The variety also means that if your child doesn’t enjoy one putty’s texture, they can try another (or try using it in a ziplock bag).
You can also choose from different resistances that allow your child to challenge themselves as they grow stronger. Most therapy putty will offer four to six basic resistance levels. The six levels are typically extra soft, soft, medium-soft, medium, firm, and extra firm. If there are only four levels, they are usually the middle four from that list. Sammons Preston Therapy Putty comes in six different resistances.
The Occupational Therapy Team does not recommend any single company over another.
