By Ascend staff Heather Diemel
With the holiday season here, it is the perfect time to engage your child in delightful holiday-themed arts and crafts! These not only foster creativity but also provide an excellent opportunity to work on speech and language development. Here are three inclusive crafts tailored to various abilities:
1. Snowman Sensory Bags
Materials: Resealable plastic bags, clear packing tape, clear hair gel, googly eyes, buttons, glitter(optional) and orange craft foam.
Instructions: Fill plastic bags with hair gel, adding googly eyes, buttons and foam shapes to create a tactile snowman. Seal the bag tightly, tape along the top edge, ensuring it’s leak-proof. Your child can explore textures and shapes without the mess.
Speech Therapy Program: Encourage descriptive language by discussing the textures (e.g., “smooth gel,” “hard buttons”). Use simple questions to promote communication. Work on following simple directions with prepositions by asking your child to put the different items “in” the bag.
2. Adaptive Paper Plate Wreaths
Materials: Paper plates, safety scissors, colored construction paper, glue and festive decorations.
Instructions: Cut the center out of a paper plate to create a wreath shape. Provide pre-cut construction paper strips or shapes for easy assembly. This adaptive craft allows children to focus on decorating and gluing, promoting fine motor skills and creativity.
Speech Therapy: Facilitate communication by discussing colors, shapes and the process of making the wreath. Encourage your child to express preferences and choices.
3. Scented Salt Dough Ornaments
Materials: 1 cup salt, 4 cups flour, 1 ½ cups warm water, holiday-themed cookie cutters, acrylic paint, ribbon, and essential oils (optional).
Instructions: Whisk flour and salt in a large bowl, slowly adding water while stirring until it forms dough. Knead until soft, about five minutes. Roll out the dough, and use cookie cutters to create shapes. Transfer shapes to a baking sheet and using a straw or toothpick, poke a hole in the top of each ornament. Bake at 300°F for 1 hour. Allow ornaments to cool. Add a few drops of essential oils to paint for a scented experience as your child decorates.
Speech Therapy: Engage in conversation about scents, textures, and holiday shapes. Ask your child to recall the steps in making the dough.
Remember, the goal is to create a positive and enjoyable experience for your child. Adapt these crafts based on their preferences and abilities, and most importantly, have fun together!
