Lacing Heart Craft for Kids
A simple lacing heart craft for kids develops fine motor skills, which are the basis for academic success and independence. According to Pearson Education, fine motor skills are the refinement of the small muscles in the fingers and hands. Crafts, such as lacing hearts, improve coordination that is essential to emotional and cognitive development.
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Background
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Children ages 4 to 6 years show the most improvement in fine motor skills. By the time they are 12, they should be able to perform complex tasks with their hands, according to Pearson Education. The best way to use these small muscles and improve their dexterity is through activities, such as crafts, drawing and manipulative toys. If these skills are not developed, it may lead to poor self-esteem, problems with spatial relationships and difficulty with writing.
Materials
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Lacing heart crafts can be fabricated from poster board, thin cardboard or construction paper that is laminated. A single hole paper punch forms all the holes for lacing, and educators and parents need a thin shoelace with aglets, or stiff, tapered ends. Alternatively, yarn or ribbon with tape wrapped at each end can be used.
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Preparations
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Fold a piece of paper in half to create a heart template. Cut out half a heart shape onto the crease of the folded paper. Trace the heart onto poster board, cardboard or red construction paper. Cut out the heart. If you use construction paper, laminate it so that it is stiff enough to be laced over and over. Punch out the holes all around the perimeter of the heart, about 1 inch apart and 1/2 inch away from the edge. To lace the heart, children should thread the shoelace or yarn through each hole. The lace circles the entire perimeter of the heart shape.
Craft
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A heart lacing project is well-suited for Valentine's Day. Children can either use the hearts to lace in a classroom or home setting, or they can use the finished laced hearts as a greeting card. After constructing the lacing heart, create more shapes to lace, such as an apple, a leaf or a fish. The colorful shapes are attractive to children and help them feel relaxed when working on this fine motor skills activity. Another idea with the lacing heart is to fabricate multiple hearts to string together to form a banner. Children should lace each individual heart and then tie each heart together with yarn. The banner can be hung for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day or a birthday party.
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References
- Photo Credit Roger Weber/Digital Vision/Getty Images
