Grasping

Grasping refers to the ability to use hand muscles to hold onto an item. The skills start to develop as early as infancy and they change and develop over time. The three grasps will review are the pincer, palmar and tripod grasp.

Early Development of Grasping

See the 'Early Fine Motor Skill Development' page for more information about grasp development in the first 1.5 years of life.

Pincer Grasp Activities

Pincer Grasp (thumb and index finger)

Pick up small objects: Use tweezers or fingers to pick up beads, buttons, or pom-poms.
Peeling stickers and placing them on paper.
Coin sorting into piggy banks or slots.
Snack games: Pick up cereal like Cheerios or raisins one by one.

Palmar Grasp Activities

Palmar Grasp (whole hand grasp)

Squeezing sponges or water toys during water play
Rolling playdough into snakes and balls
Crumpling paper into balls for throwing game

Tripod Grasp Activities

Tripod Grasp (thumb, index and middle finger)

Check out the OT Classroom page about pencil grasp, which outlines the typical development and tips to support development of a functional grasp.

Colouring or drawing with smaller writing utensils (ie: breaking crayons in half)
Using tongs or clothes pins to pick up and move small items
Threading beads onto string or pipe cleaner

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The content on this site was reviewed by KidsInclusive staff and is consistent with evidence-informed practice at the time of publishing.

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