The Learn for Life 'Building Little Hands Group' is a play-based, small group occupational therapy program designed to build the foundational fine motor skills children need to thrive in preschool and beyond. Delivered by an experienced paediatric occupational therapist across three one-hour sessions, the program supports children to develop the hand strength, coordination, and tool use skills that underpin everyday tasks.

Using a neurodiversity-affirming, strengths-based approach, every session feels like play, because that is where young children learn best. Each child is supported to experience success at their own level within a warm, inclusive group environment.

The program progresses across three sessions: building hand and finger awareness through sensory play targeted skill-building through cutting, threading, and tool use activities and consolidation through creative, open-ended play. Educators receive tailored observations and practical strategies at the close of the program to continue supporting fine motor development within the everyday preschool setting.

The Learn for Life professional development programs are designed to build educator confidence and capability in:

• supporting fine motor development across the whole preschool setting.
• understanding sensory processing and its impact on children's behaviour, regulation, and readiness to learn.
• supporting children's emotional regulation within the preschool setting

Workshops:

• are grounded in a play-based learning framework and informed by current occupational therapy evidence
• draw on sensory integration theory and a neurodiversity-affirming framework
• provide practical strategies educators can embed immediately into play and daily routine
• support educators to explore how to adapt the physical environment to promote skill deelopment
• are delivered by an experienced paediatric occupational therapist

Expected outcomes for services resulting from this program are:

• Improved educator understanding of emotional development, sensory processing and fine motor development milestones in early childhood
• Improved educator ability to identify and support children with emotional, sensory processing and fine motor difficulties within the preschool setting
• Improved educator ability to implement targeted emotional, sensor processing and fine motor strategies within everyday play and routines and
• Improved educator ability to adapt environments and activities to promote skill development across the group.

The Building Little Hands Group is delivered in person at your preschool setting in a small group of up to five children across 3 x 1-hour sessions over 3 weeks. Attending your setting ensures children feel comfortable and confident in a familiar environment, while minimising disruption to the preschool day. At the close of the program, educators receive tailored observations and practical strategies to continue supporting fine motor development within everyday play and routines.

Professional development programs are delivered in-person at your preschool setting as 1 x 3-hour session or 2 x 1.5-hour sessions. Includes educator handouts.

The Building Little Hands Group is delivered at a rate of $350 per hour. The full program consists of 3 x 1-hour sessions, with a total program cost of $1,050 (ex. GST). Educator Workshops are delivered at a rate of $350 per hour. The full program consists of 2 x 1.5-hour sessions, with a total program cost of $1,050 (ex. GST). Travel to your preschool setting is included at no additional cost within a 20km radius of the Learn for Life OT base. Travel beyond 20km will be charged at $0.99 per km (ex. GST) for the return journey.