Want a fun, CHEAP, and super easy MOTHER’S DAY CRAFT to do with your toddler, which also includes awesome STRENGHTING and FINE MOTOR SKILLS? Well great, because miss Aliza is demonstrating how to do this great craft below!

All you will need is:

Tissue paper (variety pack)
Piece of paper
Glue stick
Green marker
A cute Toddler

I purchased all of these items at the dollar store! Except the toddler 😉 WOOHOO!

How is RIPPING paper a strengthening activity?

The first thing we did was rip a bunch of tissue paper into small pieces! I love having Aliza rip paper because it is an activity used to strengthen the small muscles of her hands and forearms. Ripping paper requires resistance forcing her forearm and tiny hand muscles to work hard. She loved doing this! I let her make a bit of a mess but if you’re a mess freak just use a plastic container to collect all the paper.

*Tissue paper is a little bit easier to rip! If you want your little one to be a little more challenged, you can use regular paper or card stock!

Why does a toddler need strengthening activities?

If a toddlers forearms and hands develop slowly, it could cause weakness and lack of coordination. Toddlers need to build up the tiny muscles in their forearms and hands because those muscles are used in so many fine motor activities including, coloring and handwriting to eventually being able to manipulate buttons, zippers and more. These are just a few skills a toddler uses on a daily basis. Aliza’s overall muscle tone is a little weak, so I love to challenge her with some strengthening FUN!

Side note: I do allow her to do her own thing with minimal encouragement on “proper techniques.” She is a toddler and I want to make it as FUN as possible.

What is a pincer grasp?

A pincer grasp is using your index finger and thumb to pick up a small object! As you can see in the picture below. Aliza was back and fourth between using her pincer grasp and using the palm of her hands, which is perfectly fine. Try to encourage pincer grasp while ripping the paper to help strengthen those tiny muscles, as they will be needed for many fine motor skills in the future.

Fine motor strength!

Part two of our activity required Aliza to crumble the small bits of tissue paper (trying to use fingertips) and gluing it onto the paper to make our flower bouquet! This required lots of help from mommy, but she loved to stick her fingers in the glue and press down on the crumbled paper! This is working on pinch strengthening and fine motor control!

** Try to remember your working with a toddler and their attention span is short. Have them do as many as they want and then finish it up yourself or save it for a rainy day 😉

Finally!

Once the flower bouquet is complete, draw pretty stems with a green marker or what ever you want and well ah! You have a beautiful flower arrangement for mom, grandma or any special lady in your life made by your toddler! Who knew working out could be this much fun 😉