10 Ways to Use Leftover Wrapping Paper to Boost Your Kids’ Skills
- Jan 2, 2025
- 2 min read
As the holiday season wraps up, many of us find ourselves with an abundance of leftover wrapping paper. Instead of tossing it aside, consider turning these remnants into therapeutic and engaging activities to promote sensory exploration, fine motor skills, and overall developmental growth in children.
1. Sensory Collage:
Create a collage using different textures of wrapping paper to enhance sensory awareness.
2. The Garbage Truck Game:
Have children tear paper into bits or cut it into shapes to strengthen their hand muscles and bilateral coordination (using the two hands together). Load them into a toy truck and “dump” them into a receptacle. Kids think this is hilarious!
3. Visual Perception Games; Sorting
Using a thick magic marker, draw various shapes and sizes on the wrapping paper for kids to cut with scissors. Encourage children to sort them based on color, size, or pattern, tapping into visual discrimination skills.
4. Save Wrapping Paper Rolls!
Create an obstacle course made out of wrapping paper and wrapping paper rolls. Children can crawl over, under, or through the paper, to practice gross motor skills and develop spatial awareness.
5. Funky Handwriting Practice
Write letters, numbers, or shapes on wrapping paper for kids to trace.
6. Cutting and Folding
Practice scissors skills by having children cut along thick lines or shapes on wrapping paper. Practice folding the paper on dotted lines to encourage them to use their hands together.
7. Make Your Own Tetris
Create custom puzzles by cutting wrapping paper into pieces and having children assemble them. This activity supports visual-spatial skills and encourages problem-solving.
8. Match Textures
Refine the sense of touch by matching like textures of wrapping paper with eyes closed. Encourage children to use descriptive words to differentiate between how different types of paper feel.
9. Imaginative Play Costumes
Encourage imaginative play by incorporating wrapping paper costumes into pretend scenarios. Wrapping paper can become a doctor's coat, a superhero cape, or the mast of a pirate ship.
10. Design a Funky Hat
Remember bridal showers? Tear pieces of each wrapping paper and have kids glue them onto paper plates. Tie on two ribbons and they’re ready for the runway!
Using wrapping paper provides opportunities to integrate pediatric occupational therapy skills into play seamlessly. Tailor them to individual needs and goals, always considering the child's interests. Remember, therapy can be enjoyable and purposeful when wrapped in the excitement of creativity!
How do you use wrapping paper for fun? Send us your ideas and we will incorporate them into our ever-growing list!
Written by: Dr. Chaye Lamm Warburg, DPS OTR/L
Such a creative and helpful idea. Turning leftover wrapping paper into fun learning activities is a great way to build kids’ skills while keeping them engaged. It also reminds me how simple and nature-based experiences in places like the Langtang Valley in Nepal encourage children and families to learn, explore, and enjoy creativity in everyday life.
What a clever and fun way to reuse leftover wrapping paper for kids’ activities, turning simple materials into something creative and skill-building. It also reminds me of the focus and patience needed during the Ama Dablam Expedition, where every step demands care, effort, and teamwork. In both situations, small actions done with attention can lead to meaningful progress and rewarding experiences.
What a smart and fun idea to use leftover wrapping paper for kids’ activities! It’s great to see how something so simple can help improve fine motor and sensory skills while keeping playtime interesting. It also brings to mind those little creative moments during the Annapurna Short Trek, where simple ideas and imagination make the whole experience more special. It’s a nice reminder that joy and learning can come from everyday things.
This is such a creative way to turn simple leftover wrapping paper into fun learning activities for kids! I really like how these ideas build both fine motor and sensory skills while keeping play exciting. It even reminds me of creative moments during the Annapurna Base Camp, where simple things and imagination make the journey more meaningful. A great reminder that learning and joy can come from anywhere, even everyday materials.
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