Heart Shaped Toilet Roll Activities!

Whilst Valentine's Day will come and go here at YKOT without much thought; I was inspired by all the "heart shaped" activities that are being shared at the moment. 

Depending on you child's age, have them cut strips from a toilet paper roll (or paper towel roll or wrapping paper insert).  Use this cardboard strip to shape a heart.  Decorate the hearts with markers and then use them for colour matching, stacking, posting or threading.  You could even make patterns, dip them in paint, trace around them or glue them down. 

Watch the You-tube video for some of these ideas in action below.

Find the Heart Shaped Toilet Roll Activities on you-tube ---> Take me to the video online! (if you can't see this attachment in your email or browser).

Scissor skills are a great way to work on bilateral coordination skills as one hand is used for "holding" and the other for manipulating the scissors to cut.  I love toilet paper rolls for cutting as they need to be turned which means the "holding hand" isn't still but has to be put into action as well. You will see some children struggle with this turning action and move their cutting arm so that the scissors point into all sorts of directions.  They may try to use the table or their body to stabilise as well. Encourage your child to cut with the scissors pointing forward (away from their body) and manipulate whatever that is being cut to maintain that forward cutting position. This takes time to achieve! 

Find more activities targetting fine motor skills HERE or watch the YKOT You Tube fine motor skills playlist HERE. 

​​Finger play is an easy way to "sneak in" some fine motor skill development.  What shapes can your child make with their fingers? A circle? A diamond? A triangle? A heart? 

Cindy is a registered occupational therapist practising in Sydney, Australia.  She has two growing children who are a constant source of inspiration and learning.  Cindy loves working creatively to help children to reach their potential, finding opportunities in everyday living and making learning fun. She is also addicted to making printables (even when they take a long time to complete).  Cindy is the author of the Occupational Therapy blog Your Kids OT.  Read more articles from Your Kids OT at https://www.yourkidsot.com/blog

Cindy is a member of the Functional Skills for Kids Therapy Team.  They have together published THE HANDWRITING BOOK, THE SCISSORS SKILLS BOOK and THE TOILETING BOOK.

​The information on this site is general in nature. The activities are safe for most children, however, you should consult an Occupational Therapist or health professional to address specific movement, sensory or other medical conditions. Affiliate links are used throughout this website to promote recommended products. Your Kids OT receives a small commission if any purchases are made through these links. Please see my disclosure policy for more details. ​​​
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