Happy Earth Day!

Each year, Earth Day celebrates the progress we have made toward protecting the environment. Most of us can recite our “3 Rs” thanks to Earth Day: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. While we should always strive to reduce our consumption of single-use plastics and other packaging materials, we may have an abundance of these things already in our homes. What better way to reuse these materials and reduce our intake of new materials than by turning them into some educational toys to celebrate Earth Day! We’ve compiled a list of 5 fine motor crafts you can make with your kids using household materials:

1.      Pouch lids/bottle caps: Push caps/lids through cardboard and connect matching colors or make shapes with rubber bands. For an added challenge, try twisting on the caps before you start.

2.      Straws and empty spice/parmesan cheese containers: Cut straws into small 1.5-2 inch sections and push through circular holes in empty parmesan cheese or spice containers. For spice jars with small holes you can try tooth picks too! Add color sorting by outlining the holes with corresponding colors.

3.      Pom poms and tongs: Work on hand strength by setting up a pom-pom transfer station between two empty boxes or plastic containers. The goal is to move pom-poms from one side to another with kitchen tongs one at a time.

4.      Baby wipe containers: Fill empty baby wipe containers with small squares of fabric or chunky yarn to pull out a piece at a time. Opening the snap top lid will be a challenge for finger strength, and pinching to pull out the contents will facilitate a pincer grasp.

5.      Paper plate and clothespins: Paint a paper paint and old clothespins to match your desired design. You can work on matching numbers, colors, or letters while strengthening finger strength and prompting a pre-writing grasp! For younger kids, consider using paper clips to put spines on a hedgehog or a mane on a lion.