Handwriting and rocks
One of our founders’ kids keeps on stopping on the street to collect small rocks. He finds them beautiful, he says. He then arranges them in his room, making sure each gets its place. It’s almost like a ritual!
But then, what’s with kids and rocks!?! Maybe it’s Mother Earth and its power. After all, we are walking on and using rocks everywhere. It’s primal and raw. Pure and innocent. Just like our little ones. And maybe is also about touching, exploring, discovering and understanding life.
So, the day he got rocks with which he can also color, that was something!!! To be more exact, rocks like crayons.
This idea was developed in the States, by a special needs teacher. And since a kid’s first writing tool is a crayon, that crayon should be one that encourages the usage of thumb and second fingers in a tripod grip. And this is what makes Crayon Rocks a wonderful tool for fine motor development. Because of their shape, they do not allow kids to grip them in a closed fist, which deters motor development. Moreover, Crayon Rocks are made from grown and processed Kosher soy wax. The wax is combined with natural mineral pigments to create beautiful colors.
As you already know, is important to teach kids how to hold their crayons. We remember having some trouble ourselves. Here are some tips and tricks on how to help your kids better grasp their crayons.
First of all, it’s all about the Tripod grip. The tripod grip is the grip we use when writing with a pen, this is also known as the correct writing method. Your little one needs to grip using the thumb, index and middle finger. The barrel of the pencil should rest in their hand’s “web space”. Your kids needs to avoid closing the web space. This forces the barrel to rest on the knuckle of the Index finger and promotes strokes. Your little one should also avoid grasping at the tip of the pencil. You can see what we mean in the video below.
This can be very easily done with the Crayons Rocks and for both hands. Their unique shape and perfect size mean that they can ONLY be held with the tripod grip. Which is great news for fine motor skill development and a brilliant way to effortlessly practice handwriting skills. Just as you can see below.
Here you can read even more about the impact of grasp on handwriting speed and legibility, if you would like to find out more. What are your thoughts on this, what was your experience with your kids? We would love to hear all about it either here in the comments or on our Facebook or Instagram pages.
