Colleen Beck OTR/L

Colleen Beck, OTR/L is a pediatric occupational therapist and the owner and author of The OT Toolbox website. She manages all of The OT Toolbox social media accounts and runs the popular newsletter. Read about Colleen's experience and career as an occupational therapist, including how The OT Toolbox began on our About The OT Toolbox page: https://www.theottoolbox.com/about-us/ Colleen created The OT Toolbox in 2011 and since then has written thousands of blog posts designed to support therapy providers, educators, parents, counselors, admin, and caregivers in promoting the healthy development of kids. Check out Colleen's blog posts below:

The Ultimate Guide to Independence with Clothing Fasteners

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If you’ve been following the Functional Skills for Kids series this year, then you know the wealth of information that has been shared.  Each month, the team of OT and PT bloggers have broken down a functional task into it’s development, necessary components, and strategies for increasing independence.  This month brings buttons, snaps, buckles, and the ultimate guide to independence with clothing fasteners.  
 
Check out the links below to find everything you need to help kids with management of clothing fasteners with increased independence.  From pincer grasp to shoulder girdle stabilization and sensory processing to visual motor skills, children have a lot of precursors to master before they can independently put on their jacket or managing their clothing in the school bathroom.  


 
 
 

The Ultimate Guide to Independence with Clothing Fasteners

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Functional Skills for Kids series
 
Functional Skills for Kids and a guide to independence with clothing fasteners.
 
 

Fine Motor Development with Building Toys

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I love finding creative ways to develop fine motor skills.  From crafts and creative play to recycled materials, there are so many ways that kids can work on fine motor development.  We were excited to play with a set of YOXO Build It Kit while boosting hand strength and fine motor development with this building toy.  Blocks and building toys are a great way to strengthen the skills needed for pencil grasp, clothing management, and play.  

Not only that, these occupational therapy toys are building toys are open-ended so that kids can use their imagination through hands-on learning and play.  These blocks are sure to be a hit in your house like they were in ours!

Fine motor development with building toys YOXO building kits

Fine Motor Development with Building Toys

Building with toys like the YOXO Build It Kit are perfect for the development of many fine motor grasp patterns and skills.  Fine motor development is essential for most tasks: Pencil grasp, utensil use, clothing fasteners, play, opening containers, cutting with scissors, and more.
 
Children develop fine motor skills by reaching milestones through movement and exploration in play. Starting with pushing up in tummy time, a baby is establishing arch development in the hands.  From newborns on up  through school age, children continue to develop and refine their fine motor skills.
 
Sometimes, kids miss the motor milestones needed for functional tasks like holding a pencil.  Children may fumble with small toys or complain of fatigue when coloring.  There are many reasons why fine motor skills may derail from typical development. 
 
One new reason that we see children with struggling fine motor skills is the over use of screen technology and the lack of hands-on, manipulative toys.
 
There are ways to help kids with fine motor weakness.  Manipulating toys like YOXO is a great way to encourage typical grasp and strength in the hands.
Fine motor development with building toys YOXO building kits
Fine motor development with building toys YOXO building kits

We explored the Build It Kit by YOXO – 120 Piece Open-Ended Building Toy.  Opening up the reusable tool box, we were pretty excited to see all of the building pieces.  My kids got right to building business!

Fine motor development with building toys YOXO building kits

Pinching materials like the durable link pieces encourages strengthening of the intrinsic muscles and development of the arches of the hands.  These skills are essential for endurance in writing and coloring activities.  Activities like cutting with scissors and managing clothing fasteners are also dependent on arch development and strength of the muscles inside the hand.  Pushing the connecting links helps to develop these skills.

Fine motor development with building toys YOXO building kits

Working both hands together to connect the pieces and build on the tubes promotes bilateral coordination.  For kids to complete activities like cutting with scissors, pulling on clothing, and handwriting, they must develop bilateral coordination.

Fine motor development with building toys YOXO building kits

A lateral key pinch is needed for tasks like manipulating a zipper pull on jackets and coats.  Connecting the YOXO pieces is a great way to encourage this skill.

Fine motor development with building toys YOXO building kits

In-hand manipulation is a skill that is necessary for manipulating shoelaces within our hands and transferring coins inside our palm.  Moving small items from the palm of the hand to the fingertips can be quite difficult for some kids.  We used the small YOXO pieces to stack and build while exercising in-hand manipulation.

Fine motor development with building toys YOXO building kits

Activities like spinning tops require another type of in-hand manipulation skill.  Rotating items on the pads of the fingers is a type of in-hand manipulation skill that we use when adjusting a pencil in our hands.  My kids loved making a couple of types of spinning tops with the building set.  It was fun to see which top would stop first.

Fine motor development with building toys YOXO building kits

An open thumb web space is required for many functional pencil grasps and manipulation of small items like beads or beans.  We used the YOXO pieces to open the thumb web space by pressing the pieces to connecting lines of colors and shapes.

Fine motor development with building toys YOXO building kits

Gross grasp development allows strengthening of the whole hand.  Tasks like scissor use and self-dressing require this grasp.  My Toddler loved using the tubes to boost this skill while making a few pretend ice cream cones.  The imagination going on here is pretty amazing!

Fine motor development with building toys YOXO building kits



Using these fine motor skills in coordination with visual perception is what allows us to write and form letters in handwriting.  I loved the activity that my Toddler came up with: placing the pieces right on the edge of the reusable toolbox was an exercise in eye-hand coordination.  She was really into this activity!

Fine motor development with building toys YOXO building kits

YOXO Building Toys



I love that this toy is low tech, screen and button-free, and a hands-on way to get kids boosting those fine motor skills while playing and being creative.  The Occupational Therapist in me cheers for toys like this!

Fine motor development with building toys YOXO building kits

A little more about YOXO toys:

  • This earth-friendly toy is made of recycled and recyclable materials and is a fun DIY building kit for kids.  
  • The PBS KIDS Build It Kit by YOXO encourages open-ended play through discovery and imagination.  
  • The American-made toy is durable and and made from an earth-friendly composite.  It’s like building with an extra-thick puzzle piece. 
  • YOXO toys are perfect for encouraging STEM play with kids.   In fact, YOXO kits have been recognized by Purdue University for building STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) skills in kids.
  • YOXO is open-ended, allowing for limitless creative building play. Open-ended building is a form of self-directed play where kids design, build and play with toys created from their own imaginations. This form of play gives kids the freedom to explore possibilities and test the boundaries of what is possible. YOXO kits are specially designed to encourage open-ended play and discovery far beyond the instructions!
  • YOXO is compatible with stuff around your house, from paper towel rolls to cereal boxes – see yoxo.com/building-basics-instructions/
  • YOXO works with other building sets, including LEGO.
Fine motor development with building toys YOXO building kits

Do your kids love open ended toys? How do you encourage fine motor development?

Visual Motor Integration Tool with KORXX Blocks

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Disclosure: This post was sponsored by KORXX.  All opinions are my own.
 

We found a new favorite building toy for play, learning, and imagination, and are so excited to share it with you.  If you haven’t played with KORXX blocks before, you are in for a fine motor and visual motor integration treat.  These cork building blocks are a natural and sustainable and a light material for little builders. We received a set of KORXX blocks to try and had a blast using them for a visual motor integration challenge.  Using blocks to assess and build a child’s visual motor integration skills are an easy way to challenge the skills needed for skills such as handwriting and letter formation and any task that requires the child to use the hands and eyes together in a coordinated and effective manner.  


Address visual motor integration in written work by improving visual perception using block copying skills with KORXX cork blocks.
When we played with our KORXX blocks, we were excited to see how the blocks can easily be used to create three dimensional or two dimensional constructions. The therapist in me immediately noted the unique opportunity for addressing visual motor integration skills in this toy! 
 
Address visual motor integration in written work by improving visual perception using block copying skills with KORXX cork blocks.

Visual Motor Integration and KORXX Building Blocks

 
Blocks are quite often used as a therapy tool to address and assess visual motor integration skills.  The fact that blocks are a toy that is common in classrooms, playrooms, and therapy gyms makes using blocks for eye and hand skill needs easy and fun for kids.  
 
Visual motor integration skills are essential for any task that requires the hands to manipulate items based on what the eye perceives.  In that manner, our eyes must perceive certain information and process it to allow our hands to work in an efficient manner to produce written work, catch a ball, manipulate clothing fasteners, or copy and draw shapes and pictures.  
 
Visual motor integration is an essential skill needed for forming and copying letters in handwriting.
Address visual motor integration in written work by improving visual perception using block copying skills with KORXX cork blocks.


Visual Perceptual Skills and Visual Motor Integration

Skills that fall under visual perception are needed for visual motor integration. Skills such as form constancy, visual memory, visual discrimination, visual figure ground, visual closure, and visual sequential memory.
 
Form Constancy allows us to recognize shapes or letters and numbers no matter what position they might be in.  Blocks positioned on their side or in a different direction are still the same block.  A large oval shaped KORXX block is still a large oval shaped block and can be recognized for use in copying block patterns.
 
Visual Memory allows us to hold a memory in our mind of something we just saw.  It also allows us to recall letter formation when writing.  When we shift our vision to copy written work from the chalk board onto our paper, we are using visual memory to hold and then recreate that piece of information.  KORXX blocks can be used to address this skill by creating a block form in the upright position and then constructing a two dimensional copy of that form with the same shape and sized blocks.
 
Visual Discrimination allows us to discriminate between differences in parts of letters (for example, we are able to see the difference between an “R” and a “P”).  The different sizes in the KORXX block sets are perfect for this visual perception skill.
 
Visual Figure Ground is a skill that allows us to locate and identify items when they are scattered among other items.  Locating a single puzzle piece on a table of puzzle pieces is just on example of this skill.  Use the KORXX blocks to locate needed pieces when they are scattered on the table.
 
Visual Closure allows us to identify an object when we are able to see only a portion of it.  Blocks that are stacked in a scatter on a table surface require visual closure for children to locate specific needed pieces.  They can locate a small oval KORXX block when it is partially covered.
 
Visual Sequential Memory allows us to create words or numbers in the correct sequence.  When building and copying block forms, we need to start with the correct KORXX blocks in order to copy the form.
 
So, using the parts of visual perception is a necessary part of copying letters and words in written work, math problems, and block forms in a play activity!
 
Address visual motor integration in written work by improving visual perception using block copying skills with KORXX cork blocks.
For our block play, we used our Kuller set KORXX block set to copy different forms.  I created a few multi-dimension block forms to add a depth perception component.  I set up blocks in  front of my preschooler and asked her to copy the forms.  By looking for the correct block on the table surface, she had to use all of the visual perception areas described above.  
 
Address visual motor integration in written work by improving visual perception using block copying skills with KORXX cork blocks.
 
This is such a great exercise for kids who are copying written work from an overhead position.  In the classroom, kids might have to copy their homework from an overhead position.  Between using the information they perceive in combination with their motor component of forming letters and manipulating the pencil, there are a lot of areas where illegibility can occur.
 
Address visual motor integration in written work by improving visual perception using block copying skills with KORXX cork blocks.
Try using simpler block copying forms to address visual motor and visual perception needs can be done with forms placed flat on the table surface in a top-to-bottom orientation.  Place the block form on the table and the child can construct their own form directly under the block form.  Limit the number of KORXX blocks that are presented to the child.
Address visual motor integration in written work by improving visual perception using block copying skills with KORXX cork blocks.

A little more information about KORXX blocks:

  • These eco-friendly blocks are all natural and made free of any harmful contaminants. There are no phthalates, dioxins, or other sensory emissions. The product adheres to the guidelines for children’s toys (under 3 years) and the harmonized standard DIN EN 71.
  • The soft and light cork blocks provide excellent stability without slippage. This makes them perfect for grasping by young children.
  • The KORXX bricks are made from natural cork harvested without harming the trees.
 
  • KORXX is an all natural and sustainable building block made from natural cork harvested without harming the trees.
 
You can purchase any of the KORXX block sets here.
 
Address visual motor integration in written work by improving visual perception using block copying skills with KORXX cork blocks.
 

Check out these activities using KORXX blocks:

 
Nature Play with KORXX Blocks from Fireflies and Mud Pies  

Balancing Activities with KORXX Quiet Blocks from Preschool Inspirations

 

Clothing Fasteners and Sensory Processing Issues

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One aspect of the Activities of Daily Living we complete each day is fastening clothing fasteners. In this blog post we are covering the skills needed for managing clothing fasteners. Lets go over one aspect of sensory issues with clothing: clothing fasteners like buttons, snaps, zippers, and shoe ties.

Sensory processing affects everything we do.  From movement and learning on down to the tiniest snaps and buttons that adorn our clothing.  Many times, children with problems with sensory processing skills have difficulty with manipulating clothing fasteners. 


Here, you will find sensory-related issues that may impact a child’s ability to fasten and manipulate clothing fasteners, strategies that can help with independence in addressing sensory processing issues, and sensory-friendly clothing fastener solutions. 


Clothing fasteners and sensory processing issues can affect buttons, snaps, buckles, and zippers.



Clothing fasteners and sensory processing issues

 

Clothing Fasteners and Sensory Issues

Today in the Functional Skills for Kids series, ten Occupational Therapist and Physical Therapist bloggers are sharing everything there is to know about manipulating buttons, snaps, zippers, and buckles.  


The child with sensory processing issues may experience patterns of behavior related to many skills needed for managing clothing fasteners. There can be giant clothing sensitivities that are red flags that we can help the individual in some way. This might look like sensory friendly clothing that accommodates for challenges with clothing fasteners. Or, it might look like wearing compression garments under a shirt that has a zipper on it.

In turn, a difficulty in movement, reactions, balance, and posture can interfere with managing buttons, zippers, snaps, and buckles.  Clumsy fine motor skills may present during manipulation of clothing fasteners.  


There are many other issues that present with sensory processing problems that may present during management of clothing fasteners:

Clothing fasteners and sensory processing issues
 

 

Vestibular Sensory and clothing fasteners:

Poor bilateral coordination– Children with poor sensory processing often times present with bilateral coordination difficulties. Gross motor tasks and coordinated use of the hands in fine motor tasks at midline appear to be clumsy.  Managing buttons, snaps, and zippers are difficult when asking these children to use their hands together. Tasks such as buttoning and zipping require one hand to perform a precision task while the other hand assists.  These types of skills challenge the child with poor bilateral coordination.  While children with poor bilateral coordination may not have a clear established dominant hand, it can be difficult to manipulate buttons when one hand is not defined as the “skilled” hand. 


Difficulty with movement– Children with unmet sensory needs can present as fidgety and uncoordinated, making clothing fastener management quite difficult. 


Low Muscle Tone– Children with sensory processing difficulties quite often present with low tone. Weakness in the arms, shoulder girdle, and core can prompt the child to stabilize on table surfaces or with accommodating positioning.  These issues along with tone and strength weaknesses in the hands then prevents the child from manipulating clothing fasteners or enduring the length of a buttoning/zippering/etc task.  Fatigue can limit training sessions or prevent the child from completing clothing fastener tasks in an efficient manner


Poor motor planning (dyspraxia)–  A vestibular dysfunction can result in poor motor planning with the child having trouble in planning out the sequence of buttoning and unbuttoning clothing, or engaging a zipper into the chamber, then pulling up the pull. It can be difficult for these children to generalize what they have practice on a dressing board to clothing on the body.  Likewise, generalizing skills they have practiced with one sweater (and one size buttons/clothing material/ button hole opening/etc) to another sweater or one zipper to another zipper can be difficult.


Proprioceptive Issues and clothing fasteners:

Seek sensory feedback– Children who present with proprioceptive dysfunction may seek out sensory feedback.  Snaps or zippers can be a source of sensory feedback in an inefficient manner.


Inefficient body awareness– See below.


Inefficient grading of movement– Managing clothing fasteners can be difficult for the child who has trouble grading the amount of movement needed for positioning their arms and maintaining position while fastening clothing.  These children might grip the zipper pull too lightly or too tightly making fastening a zipper difficult.  Buttons might pull off of clothing when the child with grading issues attempts to button or unbutton clothing. 


Poor motor planning (dyspraxia)– See below


Tactile Sensory Needs and clothing fasteners

Hypersensitive to touch (Tactile Defensiveness)– The child with tactile defensiveness may have trouble manipulating clothing fasteners.  Certain clothing materials can be offensive to children with tactile defensiveness.  The texture of a zipper or Velcro can cause an adverse reaction.  Stiff collars or zippers, belts, and rough clothing textures and fasteners can cause a negative reaction from the child who is hypersensitive to touch.  These children may prefer clothing without fasteners or refuse to wear winter coats or jackets with these offensive fasteners.  


Hyposensitivity or an under-responsiveness to touch– The child with hyposensitivity to touch may present during an attempt to complete clothing fasteners.  These children may fail to realize that they have omitted buttons or snaps on their clothing.  


Poor tactile discrimination– Children who have difficulty with discriminating touch have difficulty manipulating items and using their hands without looking at what their hands are doing.  These children may be unable to perform the steps of buttoning and unbuttoning, zippering, and snapping clothing fasteners without visual cues.  They might perform these tasks in peculiar manners with inefficient grasps.   These children may seem to touch their clothing fasteners excessively, such as run their fingers up and down the zipper.  They enjoy the sensory feedback from running their hands over clothing fasteners.  


Poor tactile perception–  The child with poor tactile perception  will have trouble with perceiving the location of button holes without visually looking at the fasteners.  They will have trouble identifying the two sides of a zipper by touch.


Poor body awareness–  Children with sensory processing issues often times have trouble with body awareness.  They have difficulty knowing where their body is in space and how to move it in order to perform tasks.  Moving the arms in order to perform fine motor tasks such as buttoning and unbuttoning a sweater can be quite difficult.  


Poor motor planning (dyspraxia)–  Sensory processing issues may present with resulting dyspraxia or motor planning difficulties.  These kids have trouble organizing and following through with the movement needed to perform tasks such as buttoning and zippering.  These children will have trouble with precision of fine motor manipulation, making engaging a zipper and buttoning and unbuttoning very difficult. 

Visual Spatial Processing and clothing fasteners:

Difficulty seeing with eyes working as a “team”, particularly when managing fasteners on the body.


Difficulty shifting gaze from different planes when managing fasteners on the body.


Confuse or mis-align buttons to button holes. May present with increased difficulty when managing buttons on the body.


Difficulty with sequential tasks in buttoning or zipper management.

Looking at all of these different areas, it is easy to see why the child with sensory processing issues has trouble with managing clothing fasteners!

Many children have several of the above issues that present as a result of sensory concerns.  Bilateral coordination or low tone concerns may be accompanied by evidence of poor sensory processing.  Observations of issues described above may be part of the explanation for difficulty with fine motor manipulation, but it is important to note that every child is different and what is described here may not be the entire story.  Strategies and descriptions here will not explain every issue with clothing fasteners when sensory issues are present.


So, what is to be done to help kids with building independence and carrying over skills to allow kids to independently managing buttons, zippers, snaps, and buckles on their clothing?


RELATED READ: Zipper Activities for Kids

Sensory Strategies for clothing fasteners:

Some children with tactile discrimination difficulties have trouble processing the the spatial or temporal information gathered through touch during tasks such as managing clothing fasteners. Intervention for tactile dysfunction can be done along with intervention for dyspraxia.  Deep pressure, activities that provide tactile sensation with temporal and spatial qualities, brushing the skin, using vibrating stimulation to the skin, and tactile play activities can help with discrimination needed for clothing fasteners.  


Sensory needs may benefit from heavy input through the hands, strengthening, positioning, visual and verbal cues, practicing fastener management on the body, and practicing fasteners while seated or standing. 

Sensory Strategies to Help Kids with Clothing Fasteners



Affiliate links are included in this post. 

Clothing fasteners and sensory processing issues



Provide vibrating tactile sensory input with this Orbeez foot spa.  Typically, this toy is used with water beads for a sensory play activity.  We filled ours with crafting pom poms in various sizes and textures.  The vibrating bottom provides a vibratory tactile sensation, which is perfect for the hands. We explored the textures of the crafting pom poms as the foot spa vibrated and shook the pom poms.  Add additional components to this activity with small hidden toys that allow for visual discrimination, tactile perception, and awareness of body movements. 

Clothing fasteners and sensory processing issues using vibrating tactile sensory tools



More sensory strategies that can help with independence in clothing fasteners:

  • A weighted weighted blanket can be a source of heavy input for proprioception needs.  
  • Outline the button holes with a dark color thread or marker for easy visual perception.
  • Deep pressure through the hands is a technique that sometimes helps when manipulating clothing fasteners.  
Clothing fasteners and sensory processing issues using fingerless gloves
Clothing fasteners and sensory processing issues using fingerless gloves
Clothing fasteners and sensory processing issues using fingerless gloves

Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs Jacks Game

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Jacks is a classic game.  Bounce a ball, scoop up the correct number of jacks, and be sure to catch the ball again! Playing jacks is a great way to sneak in eye-hand coordination skills, grasp, and motor planning.  So when we read the book, Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs by Mo Willems this week with the Virtual Book Club for Kids, we were excited to try a dinosaurs version of the classic Jacks game!  


Get ready for a FUN kids’ book and an even more fun active game with Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs Jacks Game!



This post contains affiliate links.



Goldilocks and The Three Dinosaurs Jacks Game



Have you read Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs?  This book is completely FUN!


My kids are huuuuuuge fans of all of Mo Willems’ books and this one was no different.


This is definitely a book to grab at the book store or add to your library request list. 


So, read the book this week and then have fun with this dinosaur themed activity:


You’ll need just three items to play dinosaur themed jacks:


Mini dinosaur figures


Dice


Small rubber ball

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Use plastic dinosaurs in this Goldilocks and the Three DInosaurs jacks game based on Mo Willems childrens book.



RELATED READ: Dinosaur Themed Gross Motor Game


Then it’s time to play.


How to play Jacks

This game is just like the classic game of jacks. Do you know how to play jacks?  It’s pretty easy.


Scatter the jacks on the floor. 


Toss the ball into the air.  Scoop up one jack and let the ball bounce once before catching the ball in the same hand.


Collect all of the jacks in the same way.  This is called “onsies”. Then start another round called “twosies” where you will pick up two jacks at a time until all of the jacks are gone. 


Use plastic dinosaurs in this Goldilocks and the Three DInosaurs jacks game based on Mo Willems childrens book.



So, playing Dinosaur Jacks would be the same exact way.  Scoop up one dinosaur at a time until they are all gone. 


RELATED READ: Dinosaur Themed Proprioception Game

Use plastic dinosaurs in this Goldilocks and the Three DInosaurs jacks game based on Mo Willems childrens book.



How do playing Jacks help with development?

Jacks is a fun and active way to work on so many skills.

Catching a ball is a skill of motor planning.  Without a plan to adjust to the way the ball moves, it would be impossible to catch or dodge a ball.  It can be quite difficult for children with a lack of body awareness or sensory processing issues to move and create a plan in response to a stimulus such as a moving ball.

Jacks is a game of visual motor integration.  Scattered dinosaurs (or jacks) need to be gathered up while the bouncing ball is moving in different planes of vision.  
There are many visual processing skills that are used when playing jacks: visual attention, visual memory, visual spatial relationships, and visual figure ground.

Playing jacks requires the hands to move in response to what is perceived and is a challenge to eye-hand coordination skills.

Try using the game of Dinosaur Jacks to help with any of these skills that interfere with handwriting, reading, math, or other functional skills.

Looking for more ways to play and learn with a dinosaur theme?  Try these ideas from the Virtual Book Club for Kids team:

Dinosaur Themed Learning Activities

Dino Babies Letter Game ~ Rainy Day Mum
Preschool Dinosaur Name Activity from Preschool Powol Packets
Dinosaur Pre-Writing Tracing Pages from Sea of Knowledge

MATHS ACTIVITIES FOR THE DINOSAUR THEME

Dinosaur Number Maze from Inspiration Laboratories
Clothes Pin Dinosaur Count Tray from School Time Snippets
Dinosaur Shape Matching Game from Powerful Mothering
Build a Shape Dinosaur from Adventures of Adam

SENSORY AND ART ACTIVITIES FOR A DINOSAUR THEME

Collaborative Cardboard Dinosaur Art from Toddler Approved

COOKING IDEAS FOR DINOSAURS

SCIENCES IDEAS FOR A DINOSAUR THEME

MOVEMENT IDEAS FOR A DINOSAUR THEME

Roll a Dinosaur Movement Game from To Be a Kid Again
Use plastic dinosaurs in this Goldilocks and the Three DInosaurs jacks game based on Mo Willems childrens book.

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Bottle Caps Holly Craft

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We have quite a few activities and crafts that use recycled materials here on the blog.  Why not use those items that will otherwise get tossed out?  I am going to admit that almost all of the crafts that we create do end up getting thrown away at some point (You simply can not keep every.thing.)! However, I love to use recycled items in crafts and activities with my kids before they meet the recycle bin!  These bottle caps are a tool that we LOVE to use in play, learning, and crafts!  Today, I’m sharing a fun Bottle Caps Holly Craft that my preschooler made with me.  You can make a few and add them to Christmas trees, wreaths, and even as a gift topper!

Check out these Christmas Fine Motor Activities for more creative ways to work on fine motor skills and address development of skills this Christmas season. 



Make this bottle caps holly craft using recycled bottle caps for a fun Christmas tree holly ornament, a gift topper, or a holiday wreath.

Bottle Caps Holly Craft 


This post contains affiliate links.

You’ll need just a few materials to get started:
Red plastic bottle caps
Green felt
Green cardstock
Scissors
Marker
Ribbon (if you make yours into an ornament)
Glue (We go through so much glue that I love to have a glue in bulk on hand to save money, storage, and shopping.)
Hot glue gun
RELATED READ: Christmas Tree Counting Activity

This is a pretty easy Christmas craft for kids to make.  It’s a creative process craft and if you make them with friends or in a classroom setting, there will be no two that look exactly alike.

I love this craft for the fine motor development that occurs:  Scissor skills, bilateral coordination, eye hand coordination, and more.

To make the Bottle caps holly craft:

Make this bottle caps holly craft using recycled bottle caps for a fun Christmas tree holly ornament, a gift topper, or a holiday wreath.
First,  place  a few of the red bottle caps on the green cardstock.  Draw holly leaves around the bottle caps.  

Make this bottle caps holly craft using recycled bottle caps for a fun Christmas tree holly ornament, a gift topper, or a holiday wreath.
Then, cut out the holly shape.
Make this bottle caps holly craft using recycled bottle caps for a fun Christmas tree holly ornament, a gift topper, or a holiday wreath.
Make this bottle caps holly craft using recycled bottle caps for a fun Christmas tree holly ornament, a gift topper, or a holiday wreath.

Use the cardstock as a template.  Trace the shape onto the felt.  Cut out the felt holly shape.  

Use glue to attach the felt to the cardstock.

Glue the bottle caps onto the holly shape using the hot glue gun.  This is a job for parents or much older kids. 

Make this bottle caps holly craft using recycled bottle caps for a fun Christmas tree holly ornament, a gift topper, or a holiday wreath.

If using these as a Christmas ornament, attach a loop of ribbon with glue.

Make this bottle caps holly craft using recycled bottle caps for a fun Christmas tree holly ornament, a gift topper, or a holiday wreath.
How would you use this holly craft?  We strung ours onto a wreath and also made some Christmas ornaments with our bottle caps holly craft.

RELATED READ: Christmas Tree Card Craft for Kids
Make this bottle caps holly craft using recycled bottle caps for a fun Christmas tree holly ornament, a gift topper, or a holiday wreath.
Make this bottle caps holly craft using recycled bottle caps for a fun Christmas tree holly ornament, a gift topper, or a holiday wreath.

Looking for more crafts that use recycled bottle caps? 

Bottle Cap Mental Math~ Fine Motor Development
Christmas stamps with recycled bottle caps~ fine motor development
Recycled bottle cap sight word stamps~ sight word learning, visual scanning, matching
Letter learning with recycled bottle caps~ letter learning, visual scanning, matching

Highlighted Lines Christmas Worksheets

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Highlighted lines modified Christmas paper

Working on handwriting this time of year can be like pulling teeth when kids are excited for all of the things the holiday season brings. That’s why we’ve got these Christmas Worksheets available in highlighted lines writing pages with a Christmas theme. Use the holiday worksheets for writing Christmas lists, thank you notes, or a letter to Santa while working on line awareness with modified paper in the form of highlighted lined paper. 

Christmas Worksheets

Christmas worksheets for working on handwriting with highlighted lined paper.

Kids can sometimes try a handwriting trick and you will see the light bulb switch on.  What if you had a Christmas light strand switch on when you were working on written work with kids?  One way that helps kids develop written work skills and legibility is using highlighted lines on the paper.  A highlighted bottom space on lined paper is helpful in so many ways.  

This Highlighted Lines Christmas Paper is part of our modified Christmas paper packet.  It’s a Christmas worksheet for kids that will help with handwriting this season. I decided to break the packet up into parts so that those of you who are interested in just one type of paper can benefit from a lower price.

Highlighted Lines Christmas Worksheets

 
Highlighted Lined paper is beneficial to many kids for several reasons.  Using a highlighted space can provide a visual cue that allows kids to form letters with appropriate size, spacing, and placement. 
 
There are many areas of handwriting that this type of paper can address:
Line awareness
Letter size
Letter placement
Spatial awareness
Proper letter construction
 
Read more about highlighted lined paper and it’s benefits in written work.
 
Want to try color coded paper with a Christmas theme?  This is a great paper to use for letters to Santa, holiday wish lists, thank you notes, shopping lists, recipe sharing, and Christmas time to-do lists.
 
Kids can practice handwriting in a way that is fun and meaningful with color coded Christmas handwriting paper. 
 
 
Highlighted lines modified paper for Christmas worksheets that kids will enjoy using.

What’s in the Highlighted Lines Christmas Worksheet packet?

(1) 10 pages of paper for practicing handwriting, including:
  • 4 Christmas border designs in single space (narrow rule lines)
  • 4 Christmas border designs in double space (wide rule lines)
  • “Dear Santa” writing prompt paper in narrow rule and wide rule
(2) Christmas themed writing prompt for ideas to encourage handwriting in a fun and meaningful way
(3)A How to Use This Paper writing guide

 

Christmas Worksheets for handwriting 

Highlighted lined paper is a useful tool for kids who struggle with visual perceptual needs or visual motor challenges in handwriting. Children who write with letters placed haphazardly on the lines or have trouble with spacing between letters and words will benefit from this paper. Kids who write with letters of mixed size or those who write with a mixture of upper and lowercase letters will like this modified paper. 
 
Teachers in grades Kindergarten on up will benefit from the different styles of paper in this packet. The packet comes with different sized lines and a variety of rules with each holiday-themed styles. 
 
Therapists who work with children on handwriting goals will love to use the motivation of the Christmas and holiday season to work on underlying skills needed for accuracy and function in handwriting. 
 
Parents who want their children to write out Christmas lists or Thank You notes will LOVE this modified paper that allows independence in written work.

OR, if you want to try several types of paper (bold lined paper and highlighted lined paper are also available), you can purchase the packets that work for your child or students.  For teachers or therapists, the whole bundle might be a better option.  You’ll find 30 pages of printable modified paper bundled together and will save. 

 

More Christmas Worksheets

 
 
 
Get 30 pages of modified paper with a Christmas Theme for legible and neat Letters to Santa, Christmas Wish Lists, Thank You Notes, Holiday Lists, and MORE! 
GET YOUR Christmas Handwriting Pack!

Color Coded Christmas Paper

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Color-coded lined paper Christmas handwriting

Practicing handwriting can be a struggle.  Sometimes, making the writing task fun can be just the thing to encourage practice.  This Color Coded Christmas Paper is part of our modified Christmas paper packet.  I decided to break the packet up into parts so that those of you who are interested in just one type of paper can benefit from a lower price.

Christmas Handwriting Worksheets for Kids

Color Coded Christmas paper for modified writing to improve handwriting legibility.

 

Color Coded Christmas Paper

Color coded paper is beneficial to many kids for several reasons.  Kids can address handwriting needs when presented with color specific lines.  Knowing where to place their pencil to start and stop pencil strokes can help with legibility.

There are many areas of handwriting that this type of paper can address:

Line awareness
Letter size
Letter placement
Spatial awareness
Proper letter construction


Read more about color coded paper and its benefits in written work.

Want to try color coded paper with a Christmas theme?  This is a great paper to use for letters to Santa, holiday wish lists, thank you notes, shopping lists, recipe sharing, and Christmas time to-do lists.


Kids can practice handwriting in a way that is fun and meaningful with color coded Christmas handwriting paper.


Grab your Color Coded Christmas Paper packet for $4.99.

Who is the Color-Coded Modified Lined Christmas Modified Paper Packet for?

Color-Coded modified lined paper is a useful tool for kids who struggle with visual perceptual needs or visual motor challenges in handwriting. Children who write with letters placed haphazardly on the lines or have trouble with spacing between letters and words will benefit from this paper. Kids who write with letters of mixed size or those who write with a mixture of upper and lowercase letters will like this modified paper.

 
Teachers in grades Kindergarten on up will benefit from the different styles of paper in this packet. The packet comes with different sized lines and a variety of rules with each holiday-themed styles. 
 
Therapists who work with children on handwriting goals will love to use the motivation of the Christmas and holiday season to work on underlying skills needed for accuracy and function in handwriting. 
 
Parents who want their children to write out Christmas lists or Thank You notes will LOVE this modified paper that allows independence in written work.

 

What’s in the Color Coded Christmas Paper packet?

(1) 10 pages of paper for practicing handwriting, including:

  • 4 Christmas border designs in single space (narrow rule lines)
  • 4 Christmas border designs in double space (wide rule lines)
  • “Dear Santa” writing prompt paper in narrow rule and wide rule

(2) Christmas themed writing prompt for ideas to encourage handwriting in a fun and meaningful way

(3)A How to Use This Paper writing guide

Use color coded Christmas paper for modifications during handwriting.


You can grab this printable packet for $4.99 and print to use over and over again.

OR, if you want to try several types of paper (bold lined paper and highlighted lined paper are also available), you can purchase the packets that work for your child or students.  For teachers or therapists, the whole bundle might be a better option.  You’ll find 30 pages bundled together and will save.

Color coded Christmas paper packet for handwriting needs.
 
Get 30 pages of modified paper with a Christmas Theme for legible and neat Letters to Santa, Christmas Wish Lists, Thank You Notes, Holiday Lists, and MORE! 
GET YOUR Mega Christmas Handwriting Pack!

 

Bold Line Christmas Paper

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Bold lined paper for Christmas and holiday handwriting activities

You might have seen the Christmas Paper Packet that we released last week. This time of year, kids and parents start thinking about letters to Santa, holiday to-do lists, and wish lists.  It’s a great time to sneak in handwriting practice!  


Using modified paper is one way to make the task of practicing line awareness, spatial awareness, letter size, and overall legibility just a little bit easier.  I wanted to put together a packet of modified paper with a Christmas theme for all of that handwriting practice.  


Sometimes, kids need just one type of paper that makes handwriting legibility click.  If you want to have the whole packet with three types of paper, you can grab it here.  The variety of paper styles and spacing sizes are perfect for teachers and therapists who work with kids with a variety of handwriting needs.

Christmas Writing Worksheets 

 

Use bold line Christmas paper to help with legibility when writing letters to Santa and holiday wish lists!

Bold Line Christmas Paper

For those of you with just one writing need, there are three options of modified Christmas paper.  


This bold lined Christmas Paper is perfect for helping kids with several writing concerns:
Line awareness
Letter Size
Letter Placement


Read more about bold lined paper and how it can be beneficial for kids with handwriting concerns.


Get the Bold Lined Christmas Paper packet for just $4.99

Who would use this bold-lined paper handwriting packet?  

As an Occupational Therapist, I would LOVE to have this packet available for use during the holiday season.  As we get nearer to Christmas and the holiday break, kids start to get a little antsy in the classroom.  

Bold-lined lined paper is a useful tool for kids who struggle with visual perceptual needs or visual motor challenges in handwriting. Children who write with letters placed haphazardly on the lines or have trouble with spacing between letters and words will benefit from this paper. Kids who write with letters of mixed size or those who write with a mixture of upper and lowercase letters will like this modified paper. 
 
Teachers in grades Kindergarten on up will benefit from the different styles of paper in this packet. The packet comes with different sized lines and a variety of rules with each holiday-themed styles. 
 
Therapists who work with children on handwriting goals will love to use the motivation of the Christmas and holiday season to work on underlying skills needed for accuracy and function in handwriting. 
Parents who want their children to write out Christmas lists or Thank You notes will LOVE this modified paper that allows independence in written work.

 

Bold line Christmas paper for modified paper when practicing handwriting this Christmas season.


What’s in the Bold Lined Christmas Paper packet?

10 pages of paper for practicing handwriting, including:

  • 4 Christmas border designs in single space (narrow rule lines)
  • 4 Christmas border designs in double space (wide rule lines)
  • “Dear Santa” writing prompt paper in narrow rule and wide rule
  • Christmas themed writing prompt for ideas to encourage handwriting in a fun and meaningful way.
  • A How to Use This Paper writing guide

Pssst: Here’s a deal idea–If you want to try a couple of styles of the paper, you can grab both for for $4.99 each. OR, try the whole packet to SAVE. 


The whole modified handwriting packet is a great deal for parents, teachers, and therapists who want to print off different types of modified paper to meet the needs of several different students. 

Get 30 pages of modified paper with a Christmas Theme for legible and neat Letters to Santa, Christmas Wish Lists, Thank You Notes, Holiday Lists, and MORE! 
GET YOUR Christmas Handwriting Pack!