valentine link chain decorations

Valentine Link Chain Decorations

If you are like me, maybe you remember making these paper link chains before a holiday party in elementary school. This is such a simple little craft but will keep the kiddies busy for a nice chunk of time, at least long enough for you to go switch the laundry and maybe long enough for you to sit down with a nice cup of tea and turn the pages of a guilty-pleasure gossip magazine. 

Even though it is a simple craft, the result is really cute and it is great fine motor practice for little hands. All you need is construction paper cut into strips and tape. We did also use heart and flower- shaped hole punchers for an added flare. We chose red and pink paper for upcoming Valentine's Day but obviously you can choose any colors. To make this project a little more engaging for my oldest we chose a pattern to follow: red, red, pink, pink. Add a third color to make it even a bit more challenging. 

Big Sister can use the tape dispenser easily by herself but it is harder for Brother. So for him I just set him up with some ready-to-use strips to keep him moving along. Like I mentioned before, this was super fine motor practice for him and it was great to see him so focused on a task. 

Brother is hard at work!!

Working with tape to close the link. This is tricky for the little guy but he was determined and did a great job with this activity! 

It is really satisfying to set the olders to task and see them able to complete it with a great level of independence. It is a big accomplishment for them! 

My hard working decorating team!

This little activity will take you a few short minutes to set up but the kiddies will be busy for more than that. Its good practice for little fingers in fine motor movements and a great opportunity to introduce or extend teaching about patterns. Plus, you get the added benefit of having very fancy decorations for the house!