"Sweet Treats & Lucky Streaks: Delicious Thai Coconut Balls (Khanom Tom) Workshop and Exciting Bingo Game at KIN Rehabilitation & Homecare"

Today, KIN Presents This Week’s Activity: Making Khanom Tom

    Group activities not only encourage social participation but also provide opportunities to practise skills alongside others. This can support development through occupational therapy. This week’s activity was making Khanom Tom, a traditional Thai coconut-coated rice-flour dessert.

   Making Khanom Tom allowed participants to enjoy a dessert they helped prepare while practising hand use and fine motor skills through rolling, shaping, and handling the dough. The activity was also designed to encourage attention, hand–eye coordination, creativity, and imagination. Participation should be adapted to each person’s abilities, dietary needs, swallowing safety, and rehabilitation goals.

   Why Is Fine Motor Development Important for Patients?

   Fine motor skills involve the small muscles of the hands, fingers, and thumbs that are essential for everyday activities such as grasping objects, using a spoon, drawing, writing, fastening buttons, and preparing food. Weakness or reduced control in these muscles can make daily tasks more difficult and may reduce independence. Appropriate training can help patients practise skills needed for self-care and participation in family life. Examples may include drawing, writing, modelling clay, cutting food with suitable supervision, using utensils, and preparing simple dishes such as Khanom Tom.

   In addition to occupational therapythrough food preparation, participants played Bingo while waiting for the dessert to set. Bingo can provide enjoyment and social interaction while offering opportunities to practise attention, visual scanning, listening, and memory. Individual responses and outcomes may vary. The activity brought together food, creativity, and shared enjoyment.