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A toddler at a low table squeezing a plain wooden clothespin onto a fish card while a small row of fish waits nearby.
Fine motorAutism supportSqueeze And ReleaseIndoor

Clothespin Shark Feed.

A quick clip-and-chomp game where your child squeezes a shark open and feeds it one fish at a time.

Play time
5-10+ min
Age
1-3 years
Energy
Low
Mess
No
Effort
Low
Where
Indoor
Start here

The recipe.

Low parent effort
3 things

What you need

  • 1 clothespin shark
  • A few fish pictures, cards, or cutouts
  • 1 flat floor or table surface
5 min minimum

Setup

Then start the loop
Step 01
Put the clothespin shark on the table or floor at your child's easiest hand side.
Step 02
Spread a few fish pieces in a short row in front of your child with a little space between them.
Step 03
Turn the first fish slightly toward the shark so the first target is easy to spot.
Step 04
Sit close enough to help hold a fish steady or help start the squeeze if needed.
"Chomp this one."
The loop

How play unfolds.

Four panels showing fish cards set out, a grown-up modeling one clothespin clip, a child clipping the clothespin onto a fish, and the fish cards stacked together for another round.
  1. 01
    Show one quick chomp and say, "Shark eats fish."
  2. 02
    Let your child squeeze the shark open and clip it onto one fish.
  3. 03
    Pull the shark off and move to the next fish.
  4. 04
    Keep going until the fish are gone, then stack them and do another short round if your child wants more.

Safety Check

  • Stay with your child the whole time.
  • Use fish pieces that are too large to mouth.
  • Stop if the shark clip starts snapping onto skin, clothing, or hair.
  • Pause if the clothespin spring looks too pinchy or tiring for your child.
Supporting the play

What to say in the moment

Match what you say to what you see.

Prompt ladder
Level 1 (Start)
"Feed the shark."
Level 2 (Keep going)
"Now the next fish."
Level 3 (Stretch)
"Which fish is next?"
Level 4 (Extend)
"Let's feed all the fish."
If your child seems...
What you'd see
Focused
What to do
Say
"You squeezed it open."
Add
Name one simple action, such as open or bite.
Extend
Wait a second before pointing so your child can pick the next fish.

Make it easier

Younger end
  • -Use stiffer fish cards that do not slide.
  • -Hold the fish piece up for the clip instead of keeping it flat on the table.
  • -Offer one fish at a time instead of a whole row.

Make it harder

Older end
  • +Wait to point and let your child choose the next fish alone.
  • +Spread the fish a little farther apart so the shark has to travel to each one.
  • +Ask your child to pull the shark off and reset it without help.

If it's not working

If you see
If child ignores it
Make the shark chomp one fish with a quick sound effect, then hand it over right away.
If you see
If child misuses it
Put out one fish only, say, "Fish only," and guide the shark back to that single target.
If you see
If child gets frustrated
Hold the fish steady, start the squeeze, and let your child finish the clip and pull-off.
Skill spotlight
Squeeze Control

Squeezing a simple clip open and placing it on a target with control

This helps your child practice opening a spring tool with thumb-and-finger pressure and lining it up with one clear target.

  • •Repeating the squeeze helps your child practice opening and closing a simple spring clip with more control.
  • •Matching the shark to one fish at a time keeps the target clear and easy to see.
  • •The short chomp-and-reset loop gives your child quick success without a lot of instructions.
Real-world transfer
  • Opening and closing simple spring tools and clips.
  • Lining a hand tool up with one clear target.
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Keep playing

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