Try Monkey Ear Squeeze when children are becoming distracted, as a fun way to re-focus on listening.
Instructions
Bring each hand up to your opposite ear
Gently massage your ear lobes (with your thumb and pointer finger)
Watch Points
Shoulders down and relaxed
Crossing arms across the body, to squeeze the opposite ear
Giving each arm a turn to be on top
Modifications
More Challenging
Multi-Sensory
Ball Skills
Fine Motor
Do Monkey Ear Squeeze with one arm at a time
Seated-Do Monkey Ear Squeeze in your chair
Let go of your ear with one hand, switch that arm’s position (so both arms have a turn on top), and then massage your ears again.
Focus on all the sounds you can hear around you. What can you hear?
Holding something (such as your ear lobe) between the thumb and pointer finger encourages development of the muscles and motor patterns needed for pincer grip. Pincer grip is important for picking up small items and holding a pencil.
