A craft made with love

Last Modified: 2/10/2023

OT valentine craft

Occupational therapy (OT) is a vital branch of health care that helps people of all ages overcome emotional, social and physical barriers. For our pediatric patients, it can help them gain independence while also strengthening their fine, sensory and visual motor skills. Amy Hodel, an outpatient occupational therapist with Parkview Therapy Services, shares one of her favorite forms of OT … crafts! She walks us through the steps of this Valentine’s Day-themed DIY and shares some additional occupation-based information for caregivers and families.

Ready, set, create!

This festive craft is a fun and functional way to promote fine motor skills with play in an enjoyable way. Just follow the steps below to create a beautiful bag to store your valentines in this holiday.

What you will need

Two paper plates
Construction paper
A hole puncher
String
Scissors
Pencil
Glue

Instructions

Step No. 1 – Cut one of the paper plates in half.

OT craft 1

Step No. 2 – Hole punch the sides and bottom of both paper plates about 1 inch or 2 finger spaces apart.

OT craft 2

Step No. 3 – Cut approximately 5 feet (60 inches) of string in your desired color.

Step No. 4 – Double knot the string on one side of the plate.

OT craft 4

Step No. 5 – Lace the string over and under through the holes you just punched.

OT craft 5

Step No. 6 – Take the other end of your string, thread it through the first hole, and tie a knot. You should have what looks like a bag.

OT craft 6

Step No. 7 – Now it’s time to decorate! Using a pencil, draw different-sized hearts. Next, cut out each heart and glue them to the front and back of your bag.

OT craft 7

Step No. 8 – Gather your valentines and store them in your new bag. Happy Valentine’s Day!

OT craft 8

What this activity promotes

This crafting activity engages the child to sequence the events by following steps in an effective order. It also encourages control of voluntary movements, including bilateral integration (the use of both sides of the body together) by stabilizing the paper plate in one hand while cutting with scissors in the other hand. Grip strength is also required to effectively grasp and squeeze the hole puncher to create holes in the paper plate. The child employs their fine motor skills to pinch and thread the string through each hole, and their visual-motor integration skills to coordinate their hands and eyes together for drawing, cutting and gluing the construction paper hearts.

Mindful modifications

In some cases, you may need to adapt the activity to allow for improved participation and engagement. For example, if cutting the paper plate in half proves difficult, try having an adult draw a dotted line across the plate as a visual aid. If using a hole puncher is too difficult due to weakness, don’t be afraid to utilize an electronic hole puncher. Controlling and using scissors may also serve as a barrier for some children. In this case, the craft may require adaptive loop scissors. If drawing a heart is too challenging, consider tracing, then cutting. Finally, if cutting out hearts becomes too fatiguing, try placing festive stickers on the bag instead. These minor revisions and adaptive adjustments can make all the difference.

Encourage positive participation

It’s important to try and promote positive participation. To do this, the adult may help by backward chaining and breaking the task into small steps. This means that the adult completes all but the very last step. For example, the adult may measure the thread to the exact length and encourage the child to cut the string. Additionally, the adult may thread the yarn through the holes and encourage the child to tie the knot at the end.

Where to turn for help

We know parents want to provide their children with the proper support and activities to help them reach critical developmental milestones, but knowing where to turn for help can be overwhelming. So, if you or a loved one require comprehensive therapy services, please speak with your primary care provider or child’s pediatrician to see if a referral to outpatient occupational therapy is necessary. For more information regarding rehabilitation or occupational therapy services, please visit the Rehabilitation & Therapy Services page to find a location near you.