Now that the hands have gotten stronger from using the plant sprayer every day it’s time to move on to more active involvement of the hand muscles.  Using wooden stamps stretches the thumb away from the palm and the fingers have to curl around to grasp the other side of the stamp.  It requires more active work from the finger muscles than the sprayer does.  A one to two inch sized stamp is best. 

Smaller stamps allow the child to “cheat” and hold the stamp against the side on the index finger.

This actually strengthens the wrong muscle group.  So, make sure the child is holding the stamp correctly.  This activity brings the student closer to acquiring the proper mechanics for  holding and using a crayon, marker, pencil and pen.

This is the correct way to hold the stamp.  Note the big space between the thumb and fingers.  This is called the “Web Space” and is very important for controlling the pencil.

The hand strengthening that occurs also builds endurance.  For the youngest children in daycare and preschool,  stamping activates a new group of muscles in the thumb and fingers. For older children, Kindergarten and beyond, it continues the strengthening process but also builds endurance so they will have more staying power for fine motor tasks such as writing.

There is a bilateral aspect to the activity.  The child needs to hold the paper still while stamping, much the way the paper should be stabilized for writing.  There is also simple motor sequencing.  For the younger child, this in itself is a challenge.  Remembering to positon the stamp correctly, press into the ink pad and then onto the paper each time can be quite a task.  Younger children will want to keep stamping the paper in a repetitive way without  re-applying ink each time. 

With the older child (Kindergarten and beyond) stamping can be incorporated into academic work, art projects and be used as a tool to develop pattern sequencing and spatial skills.

Here are some simple projects, from easiest to more difficult:

Tape large paper to the table and allow a group of children to stamp away.  Remind them to keep stamping the ink pad to make sure the impression is made.

Same random stamping with a single sheet of paper per child.  The child may use one or more stamps to create a picture or design.

Fold a piece of paper into squares and have the child stamp inside each square one time. 

This can be made more difficult by having the child select two or more stamps and follow a pattern to cover the entire page.  This is a nice way to reinforce the A-B,  A-B-C etc. patterns that are taught in school.  Adding color changes makes the pattern sequence quite complex and more challenging.

Students can create their own design on paper.  This can be free form, or structure can be imposed.

Stamping can be used to decorate cards, home made wrapping paper and other miscellaneous paper goods.

Stamps can be substituted for writing and math assignments with letter and number stamps.  These sets tend to be small, however, and you want to make sure the students continue to hold them with finger tips rather than to the side of the finger.

Stamps can be purchased at craft stores such as Michael’s (a big chain craft store).  Online sources are listed below. 

If you are on a budget here are a few ways to make inexpensive stamps:

Cut designs into potatoes or large carrots.  Use ink pads or simply use standard classroom art paint. (these can only be used one time).

Inexpensive rubber designs can be purchased and then affixed to wooden blocks. 

Online sources to order stamps:

http://tinyurl.com/33d86k9

http://tinyurl.com/2uu2dhw

http://tinyurl.com/26r9tyk  

                                                                                                 

                                   

                                                      

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