Fun Fine Motor Valentine’s Day Crafts

Patrick McLean

Patrick McLean

Patrick McLean serves as Administrative Director and Co-CEO of Chicago Pediatric Therapy & Wellness Center, a comprehensive pediatric therapy practice he co-founded with his wife Rose in 2014. With over a decade of healthcare business leadership, Patrick has transformed their vision of coordinated, family-centered care into a thriving multidisciplinary clinic serving families throughout Chicago. After graduating from Western Illinois University in 2004 with a Bachelor's degree in Business and Finance, Patrick developed expertise in healthcare operations, strategic planning, and organizational growth. His business acumen combined with a deep commitment to serving children with developmental needs has positioned Chicago Pediatric Therapy & Wellness Center as a trusted resource for families navigating speech delays, sensory processing challenges, autism spectrum disorder, motor delays, and behavioral concerns. As Co-CEO, Patrick oversees essential operational pillars including marketing and community outreach, human resources and staff development, financial management and insurance coordination, and long-term business strategy. His leadership has enabled the clinic to expand from offering single therapy services to providing integrated physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, ABA therapy, and social work—all coordinated under one roof for maximum family convenience and clinical effectiveness. Patrick's management philosophy centers on creating systems that empower both staff and families. He has built a culture of collaboration where therapists from different disciplines communicate seamlessly about each child's progress, ensuring holistic treatment plans that address the whole child. His proudest moments come from witnessing families' journeys—from initial concerns through celebrated milestones and hard-won achievements. Beyond his professional role, Patrick brings personal perspective as a father of four children. He actively coaches his kids in various sports, enjoys creating barbecue masterpieces on his smoker, and values connection time with friends on the golf course. This balance between professional purpose and family life reinforces his understanding of the families Chicago Pediatric Therapy & Wellness Center serves every day.

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Valentine’s day is right around the corner! Here’s some craft ideas to wash those winter blues away and add some colorful decorations to your house, all while working on those love-ly fine motor skills! 

Heart Card – Great activity for children to work on hand strength, visual-motor skills including scissors and lacing. 

  1. Materials: 2 different colors of construction paper (white, red, pink, purple – whichever you have), scissors, markers, hole punch, yarn, glue
  2. Fold the paper in half. Starting at the crease, draw half of the heart.
  3. Keeping the paper folded, have the child cut out the heart. Repeat steps 2-3 with a different colored paper, making the heart slightly smaller than the first.
  4. Glue smaller heart onto larger heart.
  5. Use hole punch to punch holes along the outside edge of the larger heart.
  6. Tie a knot at one end of the yarn and string yarn through the holes.
  7. Decorate the heart with stickers, markers, glitter glue, etc!

Yarn Heart – Simple, fun activity for children to work on using both hands together.

  1. Materials: Cardboard cut out in the shape of a heart, ball of yarn
    1. Optional: Cut out little slits in the cardboard heart
  2. If completing with 2 children, have one child hold the ball of yarn and the other child hold the cardboard. Or, the adult can hold the yarn to help with tangling and the child can wrap it around the heart.
  3. Wrap the yarn around the cardboard heart until the heart is covered in the yarn.
  4. Hang it from the ceiling or on the wall for some dangling hearts around the house!

Celery Heart – Stamped Valentines

  1. Materials: celery (can use individual stalk or a bunch), washable paint, construction paper
  2. Either have the child draw and cut out a heart or have the heart-shaped paper ready to go.
  3. Using the celery ends, dip the celery into the paint and then ‘stamp’ the celery on the heart. You can use one piece of celery at a time or use a bunch together!

Now that you have some new ideas, it’s time to get crafting. Remember, it’s ok to get messy, be creative, and have fun!  See?! Fine motor and sensory motor can be fun, creative and enriching all the time!  For more help with these fine motor tasks for your little one, contact our creative pediatric occupational therapists for guidance and help for your child at 773-687-9241!  Happy Valentine’s Day!

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