Heather Loser

Fundamental Skills - Transferring with a Tool

Transfer with Tongs

Materials
 Tray
 Two identical bowls
 Material to be transferred (acorns, pom-poms, cotton balls work well)

Note: The presentation is the same for transferring beans or beads with a
tweezers.
Presentation:

1. Invite the child to the tonging work.

2. Carry the tray to the table and place it in the center.
3. Pick up the tongs with your dominant hand.
4. Hold the tongs between your index finger and thumb on your dominant
hand.
5. Say, “These are tongs. Look what happens when I squeeze them
together.” (POI) Slowly squeeze the tongs together between index finger
a thumb a couple of times.
6. Lower the tongs into the bowl on the left.
7. Allow the tongs to open.
8. Gently place the open tongs over one of the round objects in the bowl on
the left.
9. Squeeze the tongs tightly around one object in the left bowl.
10. While keeping the tongs closed tightly around the object, slowly raise the
tongs up out of the bowl on the left.
11. Slowly move your hand holding the tongs to the right.
12. Lower the tongs into the bowl on the right.
 13. Release, or open, the tongs allowing the object to gently roll out and into
the bowl on the right.
14. Repeat steps 6-13 until all the objects in the bowl on the left are
transferred to the bowl on the right.
15. Comment, “I have moved all the [acorns] to the other bowl.
16. Check the tray for any objects that dropped out of the tongs.
17. Place the tongs in the center of the tray.
18. Remove the left / empty bowl and set it on the table.
19. Remove the right / full bowl and set it on the table.
20. Replace the full bowl on the left side of the tray.
21. Replace the empty bowl on the right side of the tray.
22. Invite the child to have a turn: Now it’s your turn.”

Control of Error:
 When the tongs are not squeezed tightly, the object will not stay in.
 Visual - the child notices objects on the tray or the floor when (s)he is
done.
 Visual - the child sees some materials in both bowls.

Purpose:
 Using a tool to transfer
 Preparation for cooking
 Care of environment
 Fine-motor pincer grip and wrist movement.
 Hand-Eye coordination
 Visual discrimination
 Social grace
 Development of concentration
 Encourage task completion
 Fostering independence

Age Range: 2.5 - 4 years

Additional Exercises:
 Using different sizes and types of tongs.
 Using tongs made of varying materials: silver, plastic, wood, metal, etc.
 Using different materials to transfer nuts, beads, acorns, pom-poms, etc.
 Tonging into several different size containers, thus requiring judgment for
how much each can hold.
 Using tongs with ice and ice bucket
 Use tongs for serving muffins, fruit, etc.
 Use a pair of tweezers to transfer beads or beans onto a soap foot with
suction cups.