This glitter art activity adds a little sparkle and also calms kids and helps develops the eye muscles! Blowing activities are calming brain breaks for kids AND they help with muscle development and visual concentration. 

This is a cool craft activity that kids love!  You can incorporate glitter art any time of year.

As a school based occupational therapist, I especially use this around the holidays… when kids get really excited.  The added oral motor and oral sensory component helps calm them down!

It helps kids when they’re super pumped about a party or a celebration.  Or an upcoming break from school!  It’s a fun art project for the classroom.  Or a fun craft activity at home. 

If you frequently use brain breaks, this one is calming and organizing for the nervous system and brain.

Kids are always focused and quiet during this glitter art project!  It helps develop concentration skills. 

And as a bonus, it requires a steady shoulder and helps strengthen the eye muscles.  Why not build muscles needed for daily tasks while also making a cool craft?!

Benefits of This Oral Sensory Glitter Art Project 

The mouth is a powerful source of organization for our nervous systems. Using the mouth muscles calms kids, increases concentration and it strengthens shoulder and eye muscles!

Proven Oral Sensory Activities shares a more in depth explanation as well as other oral sensory activities.

Specific input to the mouth is a great way to provide calming and organizing for kids.  When you add deep breathing- it’s even more calming!

Sucking activities and blowing activities help the eye muscles work together to focus.  Fun (and strange) fact!

The straw requires more work from the mouth.  And, it gives the eyes a more specific visual target. 

The shoulder muscles stabilize the hand to hold the straw in a steady position.  Then, it’s slowly moved around to blow the glitter onto the glue.

Having the eye muscles focus together strengthens them for school tasks.  The eye muscles need to work together when looking around a room, reading, looking near to far (and far to near,) etc. 

[For more info on visual tracking, check out Easy Visual Tracking Activities Using Flashcards and the Infinity Loop.] 

Getting Ready for the Glitter Art Project for Kids

There are so many glitter craft ideas – but this one’s my favorite. It incorporates a calming sensory strategy with a muscle building technique!

A great occupational therapy activity that kids love.  A little sparkle makes the project more fun!

When setting up for this glitter art project… you also want to think of the clean up!

Choose a spot at a table preferably over a smooth, hard floor. (Avoid carpet if you can.)  You can even have kiddos spread out on the floor and use their own large piece of paper.  Floor activities are great for improving core stability. 

Use any of the following to place under your project for easy clean up:

• Plastic disposable table cover
• Smooth paper (as large as possible)
• Large tray
• Newspaper
• Felt (the glitter will stick to it)

For large pieces of paper or plastic table covers, you can collect the variety of colors of extra glitter and re-use it when possible.  If this isn’t possible, you can use a lint roller or a disposable microfiber cloth.

Follow up with a wet cloth if needed. ​

How to Use a Straw and Glue for Glitter Art

This glitter art craft is adaptable for preschool and school aged kiddos. 

You can choose printed seasonal pictures for kids to outline with glue (or even glitter glue to make it easier to see.)  Tracing an outline with glue is a great visual motor integration activity!  Kids can also draw and make their own designs with glue. 

Be sure to have back up straws and tissues nearby.

To make the glitter art project, have various colors of glitter ready.  You can use regular fine glitter or chunky glitter.    

First, have your kiddos place the glue on the paper to make or trace a design. 

Next, they dump a thin line of glitter below the glue outline.

Then, use the straw to gently blow the loose glitter to cover all the glue.

As my daughter always says, it’s “so satisfying” to watch the glitter spread around to cover the glue.

Instruct the kiddos to blow with control.  They also need to make sure they keep the straw up and off the paper and glue. 

Allow them to turn the paper or tray as needed to cover the glue with the glitter.  It’s easiest if you can let the projects dry.  Then, you can shake off the excess glitter and clean up.

However, if a quick clean up is needed, be careful that the glittered glue doesn’t run when they move the art project.

This fun craft creates beautiful works of art!

If you know of a kiddo who would respond well to this calming activity, share this post and/or try it out!  And if you would like more info on more calming oral sensory activities, check out Wake the Brain with Proven Oral Sensory Activities.

For the kiddos you know who need additional calming sensory strategies, check out Calming Deep Pressure Weighted Tools and Activities that Increase Focus.

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For More Skill Building Crafts and Art Projects for Kids: