Feed the Baby Birds: Pincer Grasp Activity for Kids

This pincer grasp activity turns fine motor practice into a sweet pretend play game. Kids use a clothespin “mommy bird” to pick up pipe cleaner worms and feed them to her hungry pom pom chicks in the nest. It’s simple to set up and kids will want to play again and again.

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Best for: ages 2–5
Prep time: 15 minutes
Skills: pincer grasp, hand strength, hand-eye coordination, pretend play

What You Need

An egg carton
Pipe cleaners
Pom poms
Googly eyes
Wooden clothespins (pegs)
Feathers
Small bits of foam or felt for the beaks
A glue gun (adult use only)

Short on time? Grab this kids’ craft kit with pom poms, googly eyes, feathers and pipe cleaners all in one box. (Amazon link)

How to Set Up the Pincer Grasp Activity

First, make the baby birds. Heat up the glue gun, add 3 small dots to a pom pom, then use tweezers to place two googly eyes and a felt beak. Repeat until you have a few chicks.
Next, make the mommy bird. Glue a pair of googly eyes and a feather onto a wooden clothespin.
Then, make the worms. Twirl a pipe cleaner around your finger to make a spiral, then cut it up the middle to make neat little curly worms.
Finally, pop the chicks into the egg carton nest and scatter the worms nearby.

How to Play

Kids squeeze the clothespin to pick up each worm and feed it to a chick in the nest. Keep going until all the chicks are fed! For an extra challenge, use the clothespin to move the chicks around the nest and tuck them into bed.

Why It Helps

Pincer grasp: squeezing a clothespin uses the thumb and finger muscles kids need for holding a pencil.
Hand strength: repeated squeezing builds strength and stamina in little hands.
Hand-eye coordination: lining up the clothespin with a tiny worm takes focus and control.

Ways to Adapt It

Younger toddlers: let them use their fingers instead of a clothespin, as pegs can be tricky for under-2s.
Older kids: use tweezers or tongs, count the worms, or roll a die to see how many worms each chick gets.