Spring is on the horizon (hopefully sooner than later!) With springtime comes new growth of flowers, trees and more. Let’s leave behind the days of dark, winter skies, and start to bring some color back to our lives! There are so many activities to get your child ready for this time. Here are a few fun ways to incorporate the creation of springtime projects that target your child’s fine and visual motor skills. As it gets warmer outside, have your child go outside on a nature scavenger hunt to gather ideas for colors and textures for the following projects!
Pom-Pom Flower Painting
- What you’ll need:
- Clothespins, pom poms or cotton balls, paint, construction paper
- Have your child open the clothes pin and pick up one of the pom poms. Dip the pom-pom in paint and create beautiful flower petals. Your child could also use one of their fingers, making this into a finger painting project (make sure to use washable paint in this case.)
- What this targets:
- Fine motor precision, eye-hand coordination, promotes age-appropriate grasp, organization and planning, and even turn-taking if many kids are working with the same colors.
Egg Carton Flowers
- What you’ll need:
- Empty egg carton, paint, paintbrush green string/green straw (optional), glue, scissors construction paper
- Either you or your child can cut off 1/3 of an egg carton. Your child will then be able to paint the portion of the egg carton with beautiful spring-like colors creating the appearance of a flower. They could use all 3 parts of the cut-up egg carton to give the appearance of a garden on the paper. Once painted and dried, your child will be able to glue the egg carton pieces, with the indents facing up, on the paper. Your child can then glue the string/straw, or draw a green “stem” down from the flowers. Even further, your child can create a springtime background to add their own touch!
- What this targets:
- Fine motor precision and coordination, cutting skills, age-appropriate grasp on a paintbrush, self-regulation and self-control, visual scanning, decision making.
- What you’ll need:
Nature Scavenger Hunt
- Go out for a walk through your backyard or neighborhood, carrying a bag with you if your child is interested in bringing home some souvenirs. You can guide your child to find some of the following:
- Differently shaped leaves
- Dandelions
- Branches
- What this targets:
- Visual scanning, tactile stimulation, creativity, imaginative play, social participation.
- Go out for a walk through your backyard or neighborhood, carrying a bag with you if your child is interested in bringing home some souvenirs. You can guide your child to find some of the following: