Cherry Blossom Crafts

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Spring is finally upon us, and the flowers will be blooming soon – it’s the perfect time to introduce some springtime crafts! The ideas you’ll find here are Spring fine motor activities that help to develop hand strength and dexterity. Cherry Blossoms are one of the most famed blooms every year, and for good reason, too – they are gorgeous and short-lived. Cherry blossom trees only have flowers for about 14 days, and only for about a week of that time is when they are this beautiful:

Cherry blossom crafts kids can make to develop fine motor skills.

Cherry Blossom Crafts

Get yourself and your kiddos into the springtime spirit with any of these Cherry Blossom crafts, and add these ideas to your Spring occupational therapy interventions.

At the bottom of this post, you’ll also fine Cherry Blossom book ideas to incorporate into multisensory learning through play, so keep reading for story time ideas, too!

Cherry blossom crafts for kids that develop skills, use in occupational therapy interventions or at home to help kids develop motor skills.

Q-TIP CHERRY BLOSSOM CRAFT

First, we have to talk about q-tip art. Just look at the creations you can make with a simple bathroom staple:

  • This Handprint Tree from Glued to my Crafts will keep your little ones entertained for a while!
  • Or this Spring Tree from A Little Pinch of Perfect, using the q-tips as the tree branches – brilliant!

Why make art with a Q-Tip?

  • First of all – It’s fun and cheap!
  • Using objects in a way that is not their intended purpose teaches object fluidity, and encourages cognitive development through creative play.
  • Holding a tiny Q-tip stick strengthens fine motor skills and encourages the development of a tripod grasp which is a part of handwriting development

Tissue Paper CHERRY BLOSSOM Craft

Next on the list is tissue paper crafts, so simple yet so beautiful!

We have to have one in here for developing mathematical skills! This is the perfect craft that challenges logical thinking and memory but doesn’t feel like learning to your young student.

  • Cognition and fine motor skills can be developed using felt and a tree branch in this cherry-blossom-themed Tactile Math Activity.
Cherry blossom craft pattern craft for teaching patters
  • This Tissue Paper Tree from The Adventure Starts Here couldn’t be easier! You just need glue, tissue paper, and a printed (or drawn!) image of a tree. 
  • Or, glue some tissue paper on to a stick in this 3D Cherry Blossoms project, from Practically Functional. 
Cherry blossom craft to develop fine motor skills in kids

For even more fine motor development in a craft, check out these Fine Motor Cherry Blossoms

Why use tissue paper in crafts?

  • Ripping tissue paper strengthens the muscles of the fingers, hands, and arms.
  • Touching the crinkly and smooth textures of tissue paper provides a gentle sensory experience that is good for sensory seekers or avoiders.
    • Depending on the papers that you use, you can offer various sensory experiences – the textures, the sounds, the colors!

Why should I give my toddler a bottle of glue?

  • Squeezing a bottle of glue can take a lot of effort, which strengthens the muscles of the hands that are necessary for occupational skills like handwriting, zipping coats, etc.
  • Learning to control the pressure is a great way to teach fine motor planning skills.
    • Motor planning occurs before a voluntary movement happens, and when we are learning new physical skills, like squeezing a glue bottle, it requires some thinking beforehand to get it right.
    • The action-reaction that occurs with the amount of pressure from the squeeze (action) to the glue that is released (reaction) is a very tangible way to teach this skill. 

CHERRY BLOSSOM Fingerprint crafts

We can’t offer a craft without a finger painting option! Read on for why painting with your fingers is beneficial for your child’s development.

Why use fingers when we have a paintbrush?

  • The answer is that both are great tools to teach different skills!
  • Using fingers as a tool in artistic play provides great sensory feedback to the brain.
    • The textures of the paint, the feeling of the paper, the pressure to place the pain down, and the colors that they can experiment with all provide learning experiences for their growing mind.
  • Using a paintbrush is great, too!
    • The paintbrush provides another way to interact with the paint and paper while using their little hands in a prehensile pattern. Prehensile = grasp, and using any utensil develops their general grasping skills necessary for many occupational skills that are coming their way (handwriting, opening bottles/jars, buttoning, zipping, the list is endless!). 

Cherry blossom books

Add a book to the craft activity to add dialogue and communication opportunities to craft time, while facilitating problem solving, social emotional learning, and more.

I personally love the days when I am able to connect a craft with a story. It makes the simplest things feel so purposeful and well-thought-out – like you’ve won the parenting award for the day!

Here is a list of cherry blossom themed books to go along with your craft: (Amazon affiliate links included below.)

Pinkalicious: Cherry Blossom by Victoria Kann

Sakura’s Cherry Blossoms  by Robert Paul Weston and Misa Saburi

Cherry Blossom and Paper Planes by Jef Aerts and Sanne te Loo

Cherry Blossoms Say Spring (National Geographic Kids) by Jill Esbaum

Spring Blossoms by Carole Gerber and Leslie Evans

Sydney Thorson, OTR/L, is a new occupational therapist working in school-based therapy. Her
background is in Human Development and Family Studies, and she is passionate about
providing individualized and meaningful treatment for each child and their family. Sydney is also
a children’s author and illustrator and is always working on new and exciting projects.

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Cherry blossom crafts

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