Lacing Activities for Children

Lacing Activities for Children

Cat’s Whiskers Lacing Busy Bag

How cute is this cat’s whiskers busy bag?  I happen to find it adorable!  Just print out the free download, cut out the kitty’s, laminate and hole punch to indicate where to lace the pipe cleaners.  Toss some pipe cleaners cut in half inside the busy bag and it is all set to go.  The child can lace the pipe cleaners through the holes to give the cat’s their whiskers.

I only used one hole punch to lace the pipe cleaners through but you could do two.  I liked the end result better with only one hole punched and lacing all the pipe cleaners through the one hole.  If it is difficult for the child, punch the one hole several times to make it larger to fit the pipe cleaners easier.

This activity encourages scissors skills, hand strengthening with the hole punching, visual motor skills with the lacing and creativity.

If you wanted to, you could color the cats before you laminate them.  I like the black and white cats because the pipe cleaner whiskers really stand out on the white background.

You can download the cat’s to print and lace at Your Therapy Source for free!

Here are some Shape People Punches that are also free.

Want more ideas for hole punching?  Check out Hole Punch Palooza

The post Cat’s Whiskers Lacing Busy Bag appeared first on YourTherapySource.com Blog.

Bunny Garland Freebie

Download this bunny garland freebie to encourage eye hand coordination, fine motor skills and hand strengthening.  You can get the freebie from Your Therapy Source at http://yourtherapysource.com/freebunnies.html

3-D Lacing Activity

Add some dimension to a lacing activity.  You will need a piece of cardboard (I purchased left over mat board pieces at the craft store for dirt cheap), hole punch, pipe cleaners and an assortment of beads (or use pasta).  The adult needs to punch the holes around the edges of the cardboard.  It sure is a hand work out!

Provide the child with the pipe cleaners, beads and the lacing board.  This is a free form artwork so let the child create as he/she wishes.  Simply lace the pipe cleaner through a hole, add a bead or two and put the pipe cleaner back through another hole.  

This activity can be re-used over and over again.  If the child wants to preserve the work, snap a picture of the design and print it out.  

This activity encourages:

• visual motor skills
• fine motor skills
• bilateral coordination
• creativity

If you are looking for more lacing ideas check out 
1.  Lacing Cards - http://www.yourtherapysource.com/lacingcards.html
2.  Lace and Learn Letters - http://www.yourtherapysource.com/learnlaceletters.html
3.  Lace and Learn Colors and Shapes - http://www.yourtherapysource.com/learnlaceshapes.html
4.  Make Your Own Mobiles - http://yourtherapysource.com/mobiles.html