DIY Fine Motor Toy: Color-matching flowers

I’ve really been enjoying making simple felt toys for M lately, and this fine motor toy is as simple as it gets!

You simply match up the flower stems and centers to the flower itself!

M is at the perfect stage for color-matching practice: he knows most of them but still confuses his oranges and reds, and other similar colors. He also very much enjoys fine motor activities, so this toy is perfect.

The creation process of these color-matching flowers is also much easier than my other felt toys: no sewing, simple shapes, and a total creation time of half an hour maximum.

What you need to make this fine motor toy:

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Felt – samples work great. I used two shades of the same color where possible.
Buttons
Colored craft sticks or plain ones colored with Sharpies
E6000 glue – tacky glue or glue gun works great for the felt but the buttons really need a better glue to hold up.
Good scissors (detail scissors are helpful with this one.

How to make this fine motor toy:

1. Glue buttons to the ends of the craft sticks (this stops it from being pulled totally through so that it actually creates a flower).

2. Cut out an inner flower shape (or just a circle) and an outer flower shape. You don’t really need two layers, but it does make it a bit stiffer so it holds its shape well. PLUS it looks cuter like that.

3. Glue the two flower shapes together.

4. Measure and cut two slits toward the base of the flower, so that the button lands near the center of the flower. I measured simply by holding the stick near the flower and approximating the spot.

Do this with all the colors of the rainbow for a fun fine motor toy!

M LOVED it and begged me for it before I was ready to give it to him. He almost misplaced the “test” flowers – the purple and green ones I made to make sure it was really a good idea before I finished the set. He hasn’t yet figured out how to “weave” the stick – so far he just sticks it into one hole. But that just means it’s more perfect for him as it offers some challenge and room to learn.