We all love a quiet activity that allows toddlers to work on their fine motor skills while also allowing mom or dad some time to get things done! (What parent doesn’t need more time during the day to themselves??) This specific activity is incredibly easy to make, and you may already have all the supplies you need right at home.
Bonus: Using items you already have laying around your house in a new way, encourages children to become more creative!
Working on independent play and fine motor skills are crucial for a growing tot. Not only does it give a child the confidence to become more independent but these are two big skills kiddos need to have developed once they enter school.
This is easy to prepare for your child and requires few supplies. Plus it requires minimal clean up. Talk about a win win!
Materials needed for this activity includes:
Empty plastic container
Empty baby wipes lid
Caps
Scissors
Super glue
Sharpie
Start by collecting caps from empty food pouches. Be sure to thoroughly wash with soap and water, dry, and set aside for this activity.
You can also use caps from milk jugs or soda bottles if your tot doesn’t eat pouches with this type of cap.
You don’t need to have a certain amount of caps saved. The amount you use is completely up to you! My toddler happens to eat these pouches like crazy so I have quite a few saved.
Peel the lid off of an empty baby wipes container.
This lid will allow for easy storage when your child isn’t using the activity.
Grab an empty plastic container that you do not mind cutting.
I used an empty cool whip container!
Place the baby wipes lid on top of the plastic container’s lid. Once the baby wipes lid is positioned where you want it, trace the inside opening with a sharpie.
Remove the baby wipes lid and cut on the traced line you just created on the plastic container’s lid. This will create the opening for the caps to be placed into.
I like to cut the opening a little bit wider to avoid my toddler getting cut from sharp edges.
Once the opening is cut, place superglue along the edge of the baby wipes lid and press onto plastic container’s lid.
Allow the glue to dry before encouraging your child to put caps inside the opening.
How to do the activity:
When first showing your child this activity, start them off slowly to allow them to gain confidence. Once they are able to easily add one cap into the opening start giving them more caps to put inside.
The end goal is to have your child be able to independently grab the activity, empty out the caps, and put all the caps back inside through the opening.
It’s also important to mention that caps can be a choking hazard. An adult should be supervising the child while they complete the activity.
Tip: You can work on numbers with your child by counting each cap as they put them in the container. If you would like to work on colors, name off the color of each cap as they put them in.
If you’re looking for another fine motor activity for your toddler check this activity out!
I hope you and your child enjoy this activity! Let me know if you give this a try at home!
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