Tenura creates and manufactures helpful assistive devices for children to make life a little simpler. Tenura's ergonomically designed children's products are beneficial during play and mealtimes. The three gadgets on show in the video are Tenura children's cutlery grips, CupCaps and non-slip mats. You can use these products to promote the development of fine motor skills like handwriting.

Skills such as handwriting and properly using cutlery, may not seem necessary. However, they are the foundation to key life skills, and by using and practising with cutlery, the child's brain develops fine motor skills.

Fine motor skills are the movements we make using our smaller muscles for intricate tasks, a task in our daily lives that requires such skill is fastening the buttons on your top, tying shoelaces, writing and correctly using cutlery.

Children who do not practice fine motor skills often have low self-esteem because they are unable to complete the same tasks as their peers. So, let's make sure your child is happy and prepared for life by encouraging their development using Tenura children's products.

Explore the benefits of our Children's Range:

Children's Cutlery Grips

Children can struggle to hold items with thin handles as it requires fine motor skills and coordination. Typically, children can feed themselves by age seven, having acquired these skills through years of practice. You may not give it much thought but grasping smaller objects requires a more extensive range of movement, which is why some children struggle to hold cutlery. To help your child, slide Tenura children's cutlery grips onto handles, enlarging their surface area and making them more comfortable to hold. Some great examples include:

• Toothbrushes
• Paintbrushes
• Pens and Pencils
• Hairbrushes

Children's cutlery grips come in a pack of two and are available in three colours, red, blue and grey.

For larger hands, we have ergonomically designed adult cutlery grips.

Children's Table Mats

Arts and crafts are a treasured pastime for all children, often consisting of paint, pens and glue, all of which can leave horrifying marks on your furniture. However, by using a Tenura children's mat as a barrier between the table and their art, you can protect your surfaces and keep the mess contained. Tenura mats are easy to wash/wipe down and are dishwasher safe.

The mat's silicone non-slip properties prevent spillages, as paint pots and other mess-making supplies are securely held in place by the children's mat.

There are two funky shaped children's mats available, an orange cat and a green frog.

Tenura CupCaps – Silicone Drink Lids

We are all prone to knocking over drinks, especially children, whose bodies are growing and don't have the best spatial awareness. With that in mind, CupCaps can be an ideal help. CupCaps are stretchy silicone drink lids that create a seal over the top of containers to keep the liquid inside and avoid spillages. Stretch the drinks cap over your cup, insert a straw through the eyelet and away you go, mess-free.

Benefits of Tenura Children's Assistive Devices

Tenura’s three assistive devices for children are made from silicone, which means that have fantastic qualities, which include:

• Non-Toxic
  • An essential feature as children tend to put things in their mouth, so the last thing you want is the object to be toxic
• Antimicrobial
  • Bacteria can't harbour on the mat's surface. Your child has a developing immune system, so it is crucial to reduce the risk of infection/­illness
• Latex-Free
  • Your child could be allergic to latex, and you may not be aware
• Easy to hand wash and dishwasher safe
  • Tenura children's products can withstand temperatures up to 250°C

If you would like to contact us regarding the Tenura children's range or our other products, please fill out the contact form.

Developing Fine Motor Skills in Children

Performing actions with increased frequency positively affects how smooth, fast and accurate the motion can be completed in the future, becoming ingrained in 'muscle memory'.

As for a child learning how to write, years of practice go by to develop the skill. If you have ever tried to practice the art form, calligraphy, you will realise what it was like when first beginning writing. You have to train your hand to complete the same motion each time ensuring every letter is identical in style. You have to train your body to make those exact motions.

By repetitively completing actions, you also build up the strength in the muscles involved in that movement, especially supportive muscles required for fine motor skills. As these improvements continue, the brain takes note and sends out altered signals each time, which is, of course, why practice makes perfect.

To help develop this skill in your children, you should practice activities such as colouring/­drawing, tracing, cutting, writing, playing with playdough and using cutlery when eating.

 

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If you would like any further information on the products showcased in this blog and video, check out their product pages: Children's Cutlery Grips | Children's Table Mats | CupCaps