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