A great fine motor winter craft for kids that can challenge both kids with higher level cutting skills and kids who are just getting the hang of scissors.
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Printable Winter Craft for Kids
During my years as an occupational therapist in a preschool setting, I’ve developed some tried and true crafts that provide opportunities for kids to “show what they know”, or generalize the skills we’ve introduced in therapy into the classroom setting during push-in treatment sessions.
This winter craft has become one of my favorites for kids because it can be graded to challenge both kids with higher level cutting skills and kids who are just getting the hang of using scissors. Teachers and speech language pathologists love this one too, because I usually pair it with the book, The Jacket I Wear in the Snow by Shirley Neitzel. This book is full of repetition and provides excellent opportunities for developing sequencing and comprehension skills while also enhancing vocabulary.
Looking for another fun winter craft? Check out this snowman kindness craft for kids!
What you’ll need:
-Printable craft templates (scroll down and fill out the form)
-scissors
-glue
-crayons/markers/colored pencils
-multi-colored felt
-construction paper
-craft foam (optional)
-The book The Jacket I Wear in the Snow
What to do:
Start by reading The Jacket I Wear in the Snow. You can even have the kids pretend to put on each of the different types of winter clothing as you read for a gross motor component to this lesson plan!
Provide each child with one of the printable templates and have them color the boots, long johns, sweater, and hat to look like the ones in the book.
Next, have them cut on all of the straight black lines, so that each article of clothing is on its own separate strip of paper and the person is on his own piece of paper. Have the kids glue the strips onto the person in the right places (hat on head, sweater on body, pants on legs, boots on feet).
Add a jacket and a scarf made from construction paper, felt, or craft foam.
How to Change it Up:
-I usually have my older students cut out small mittens, boots, and scarves from construction paper, felt, and craft foam themselves but I provide pre-cut versions for my preschoolers. You can also include snow pants and a coat!
They then glue these articles of clothing over top of the ones they have already colored and glued on.
-Highlight or thicken the cutting lines as needed to make them stand out visually and to ensure success for kids who are just learning to cut on a line.
-Looking for some great tips on how to teach kids to use scissors?
-Here are some of our best beginner cutting activities.
Skill areas addressed:
Bilateral coordination, cognitive skills, coordination, fine motor skills, grasp, motor control, prewriting skills, visual motor integration, visual perceptual skills
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