What are In Hand Manipulation Skills?

What are in hand manipulation skills? In simple terms, it is the ability to pick up and use an object with one hand. There are three types.

Perhaps you are a parent or school staff member who recently read an occupational therapy report and wondered what are in hand manipulation skills? In simple terms, it is the ability to pick up and use an object with one hand. There are three types of in hand manipulation skills: translation, shift, and rotation.

Three Types of In Hand Manipulation Skills

Translation

Translation allows you to move objects from the palm of the hand to the fingertips and vice versa using only one hand. An example of translation is moving coins from your palm to your fingertips to put the coins in a bank.

If children do not have adequate translation skills, they may have to use both hands for certain activities that should only require one hand. You may observe the child: transferring the object to the other hand to help reposition it, using external support like a tabletop to help reposition objects, dropping the objects in the hand while trying to move them or taking longer to complete activities that require translation skills.

Shift

Shift is the ability to move objects between the fingers. Some examples of shift are when you use your fingertips to try and separate two pieces of paper that are stuck together or when you move your fingers to the bottom of a pen
to get ready to write.

The ability to move objects between the fingers is necessary for fine motor tasks. If shift skills are not sufficient you may have difficulty with isolating your finger movements causing you to drop objects frequently. It may also be difficult for you to manipulate objects like playing cards.

Rotation

There are two types of in hand manipulation skills when it comes to rotation, simple and complex. Simple rotation is the ability to roll a small object between the thumb and finger tips. An example of simple rotation is using the finger tips and thumb to open a small jar. Complex rotation is the ability to turn an object end over end. An example of this is flipping a pencil over in one hand to use the eraser instead of writing with the tip of the pencil.

The ability to rotate objects with the finger tips is necessary for many fine motor tasks throughout the day. If a child has difficulty with rotation, he/she may drop objects frequently or be unable to manipulate small objects using one hand.

What Activities Improve In Hand Manipulation Skills?

There are many fun, simple in hand manipulation activities that children can work on to improve their skills.

How to help a child develop translation skills

Here are a few in hand manipulation exercises to help with translation skills:

put coins in a piggy bank that are in the palm of your hand
get coins out of a purse
crumple up paper using one hand
lace beads onto a string while holding the beads in the palm of the hand
pick up small objects from a table
put small objects in play dough such as coins or small beads. Have the child find the small beads in the clay. Once a bead is found, move it into the palm of the hand. When three beads have been found remove them from the palm and start again. Creative Clay Activities can provide you with more ideas!
recycle an old plastic container like a margarine or potato chip can. Cut a slot in the top. Have the child hold several poker chips in one hand. Practice putting the poker chips into the slot.
give the child a snack of a small food like raisins. Put the raisins in the child’s palm. Instruct the child to eat one raisin at a time moving the raisin from the palm, to the fingertips to the mouth.

Activities to Develop In Hand Manipulation Skills that Encourages Shift

To practice moving objects between the fingers (shift) try these exercises:

practice turning pages in a book.
play games that require you to pick up one card at a time (ie: Candy Land®, matching games, flash cards, etc. Combine card play and exercises with the Candy Exercise Game.
practice sorting currency by separating bills into different denominations
practice crayon, pencil or pen walks – hold the writing utensil in one hand and try moving the fingers up and down the shaft, remember only use one hand
when cutting, practice turning the paper with one hand as you use the scissors to cut with the other hand. Try Step by Step Circle Animals.
walk your fingertips up and down a pencil from the tip to the eraser using only one hand.

In Hand Manipulation Skills and Exercises to Help with Rotation

To help children develop simple and complex rotation try these activities:

practice putting on and taking off small lids or caps (ie: opening water bottles or juice containers)
give the child a container of nuts and bolts. The child can screw the nuts onto the bolts. Start out with large nuts and bolts and progress to smaller ones.
practice rotating writing utensils, for example, try rotating the pencil from the lead side to the eraser side
do puzzles – rotating the pieces to fit into the proper place in the puzzle. Try Tangram Printable Puzzles.
build with small building blocks especially ones with pictures on them. For example, six-sided block puzzles are great to practice rotation skills
try stacking dice with the same number showing on each side of the tower. The child will have to rotate
the die in the hand before he/she stacks the dice. Play Sudoku with dice.
play with a shape sorter. The child will have to rotate each shape in different positions in order to fit it
in the correct hole.

Would you like this in hand manipulation PDF as a handout?

The What? Why? and How? Series 2 helps to explain fine motor skills to students, parents and teachers. Each hand out includes a definition of what the topic is, why it is important and how you can help.

Series 2 includes one-page handouts on the following topics: