Quercetti Filo Lacing

Quercetti Filo Lacing

Quercetti Filo Lacing seems like an awesome activity every OT should own, and yet I rarely use it and have never recommended it.

The white lacing grid (see image above) is made of a rubbery material and has 216 holes in it. It also serves as the lid for the case, which is where you store all the pieces. Inside you will find nine pattern cards, four cords, and four tubes. As you can see from the image above, there is a clip at the top that keeps the case closed.

The reason I have not used this item much is that I feel the tool is just plain awkward to work with. The cord slides through the top of the tube, so it hangs out the top. The tube is tapered and is smaller in diameter than a pencil at the bottom. It is transparent so you can see how much cord is left once you get to the end of it. The ends of the cord are tipped and the first push into the white grid anchors the cord. Pull the tube back out and leave the cord behind.

Follow the pattern card and go from hole to hole, pushing the cord into the hole and pulling it taut as you pull the tube back out and push it into the next hole. The length of the cord usually just makes it to the last hole, if I am doing it. When kids do it they don't tend to pull it taut enough and they run out of cord before they run out of picture. Of course pulling it too taut will pull it back out. It is disappointing to have two or three holes to go and run out of cord, or to have some one looking over your shoulder saying "a little tighter" over and over. And if the cord becomes lax for whatever reason, it has to be pulled back out the top to make it taut again. 

There are nine pattern cards with a different image on either side (18 images total). The pattern card sits off to the side of the grid, not on top of it, so you will have to count holes as you go. The pattern cards are about the same size as the white grid. Some of the pictures are a sailboat, a person's face, a simple tree scene, and a jack-o-lantern.

There are so many holes (18 X 12) that I find myself constantly counting across and down, up and over, etc. I have tried putting tiny colored circle stickers on each hole to push through and that was a disaster. I finally just put it away. I feel like I am setting my kids up for failure with this toy so I don't use it. May work fine for skilled or older individuals. Or you could allow a child to randomly push into holes and make his own picture to work on finger strength and dexterity and manipulating a tool. 

Try this:

• Work on visual discrimination, figure ground, spatial relations, position in space, eye-hand coordination, sequencing, manual dexterity, pincer grasp, finger strength, fine motor precision, palmar arch development, separation of two sides of hand, intrinsic muscle development, tool use, using both hands in a coordinated manner, motor planning, executive functioning skills, process skills, play and leisure exploration and participation

In the box: 1 grid/carrying case, 4 tubes, 4 cords, 9 2-sided pattern cards (full size), 1 pattern book with additional patterns (not full size)
Ages 4+