Fine Motor Skills Fun with Colanders and Pipe Cleaners

Great fine motor skills activity

Dollar bin finds

I’m always looking for fun, inexpensive, and simple activities to do with Dylan, Jake and Emma.  Entertaining three busy 2 ½ year olds requires me to be creative.  I saw this idea awhile ago on Pinterest and when I was at Target with Dylan on Monday we happened to be in the Dollar bin section and came across these adorable plastic colanders.  I already had a ton of pipe cleaners at home, but you can find them at the dollar store.  This activity will only cost around $2 and its reusable!  Not only is this activity inexpensive and easy, there is NO mess!  That's is always an added bonus to me!

Dylan, Jake and Emma have great fine motor skills and they really enjoy activities that help them reinforce this skill.  This activity also allowed them to make a very cool piece of artwork that you can keep out for awhile or put away and save it for next time.

*Safety note* I find pipe cleaners to be sharp on the ends so for younger kids you can bend the ends back to prevent scratches, but in general kids should be supervised with this activity for obvious safety concerns.

Great fine motor skills activity

The idea is to have them feed the pipe cleaner ends through the holes in the colander.  Emma began by putting the two ends in to create what she announced was “a rainbow”.  Jake liked Emma’s idea of the rainbow, but he of course only wanted to use red (his favorite color).  

Jake hard at work

Emma concentrating

Dylan was very into the idea of putting just one end into one hole on the colander.  Then I showed him he could put the side that was in the air into a different hole and he was very excited so he began to do that with all of his pipe cleaners. 

Dylan learning to try it a different way

Dylan doing it the first way

It was interesting to see how differently they did the activity.  Jake and Emma liked putting the pipe cleaners in tightly and pushing them down and even bending them whereas Dylan liked having nice arches.  There is no right or wrong way to do the activity, which is a great thing for toddlers!

Dylan was so proud of his artwork

Jake was very proud too!

This activity was a complete success and they were happily playing with it until we ran out of pipe cleaners.  Luckily Nana just happened to have picked up some more at the store that day so now we will be able to extend our activity even longer next time!  Thanks Nana!

Our cool artwork  

Homemade Light Table

Homemade light table fun!

Light table fun!

Soooo I created a new sensory activity for us this week… A homemade light table!  Dylan, Jake and Emma have always been fascinated with toys or objects with lights so I thought why not create something that would peak their interests on a new level.

I have seen light tables used in classrooms but they can cost a few hundred dollars. I figured there had to be a cheaper solution.  So I decided to create my own!  It turns out, I can make a very cool, safe, and inexpensive light table for less than $30.  There are many different versions of homemade light boxes out there, many have you use plug in Christmas lights or other types of lights, but I liked this solution because there are no wires and it felt safer to me.  This one seems to be one of the easiest and the safest I came up with.

Anyone can put this together in less than 5 minutes and I guarantee kids of all ages (9 months and up) will enjoy using it.  Using a light table is a different version of a sensory table.  By incorporating the element of light into their playing, they are stimulating a different sense and learning in a different way.

 

There are so many different uses for light tables and I have listed some ideas at the bottom of this post.  We just invested, yes invested, in Magna Tiles and they are worth every penny.  They work perfectly with the light table and they will be used for many years to come.  I look forward to using the light table for other uses as well!

I introduced this activity after naps since it was later in the day when the house was darker and I felt they would get more of the light effects.  They were in amazement of how neat it was.  I knew right away I needed to make 2 more because I didn't want to deal with the fights that ensued because all three couldn't play at the same time without destroying each others work… Now that I knew how easy and inexpensive it is to make these I ran out to get the supplies to make 2 more! 

Happily enjoying the new sensory table!

What you need:

(1) appox 16”x14” box with a frosted top and frosted side.  The lid should have an elevated edge on it so that the object(s) can stay put on the top a little better. *The bigger the box the more lights you will need* Try these from Target 

(4-6) Tap lights Find them here 

Or try the LEDlights

Other items you may need:

Parchment Paper

Foil

I was able to fit four lights
in this box and it was plenty.

The steps are so easy! 

1.  Put the batteries in the lights and turn them on.

2.  Place the lights in the box and put the lid back on.  The more lights you can fit in the better.  I used both the regular and LED lights and liked the regular ones better.

3.  Put the table on the floor or low table and let your child explore with some of the suggestions below!

Some other things that may increase the function of your homemade light table:

*Try taping parchment paper to the bottom of the lid if you feel the lid is too see-through.

*Place foil around the sides and/or bottom the box to add a reflective property to increase the light and help the brightness shine through the top.

A homemade light table!

Things to use/do on the light table:

Magna-tiles… expensive but worth every penny (purchase from Lakeshore using a coupon!!!)

Window Gel Clings (great for seasonal variations and cheap!)

Any colored plastic bottles, cups, containers, spoons, etc

Glass beads (older children) for sorting purposes

Colored water

Painting

Check out this blog for more great ideas on what to do with your light table! http://www.teachpreschool.org/2012/02/everyday-light-table-play/

Making Oatmeal S’mores Bites with the Kids

I love cooking and baking.  The kids have thankfully inherited my love of both of these things.  We spend lots of time in the kitchen.  They love to smell the spices, crack the eggs, mix the ingredients, etc.  They also have an amazing love of food for two year olds!  They are not picky eaters and they have a great appetite.  It makes my job much easier!

I love sweets.  However, I am one of “those” moms that feels kids shouldn't eat a lot of sugary foods so D, J & E rarely eat sweets, but every now and then they need to enjoy a special treat just like anyone should! 

I also LOVE S’mores!  Marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate…  Yummy!  This recipe from little bitty bakes caught my eye and I knew this would be a great snack time recipe that I would need to make with the kids.  It involves no baking or cooking… just mixing!  This recipe adds oatmeal which makes it sound healthy so I don’t feel as guilty giving it to the kids.  It makes for a great snack and would be a perfect special treat to put in their lunch box.  This version is slightly different from the original one I found and it reminds me a lot of a Quaker Oats Granola Bar my mom used to buy for us as kids. 

This recipe is so easy and quick.  The kids had so much fun getting involved in making this yummy snack and they gobbled them up!  Enjoy! (Recipe follows below)

The ingredients: Graham crackers, oatmeal, mini chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, and marshmallow fluff

Crush graham cracker crumbs in Ziploc then pour into a large mixing bowl.  (Great way for the kids to get involved).

Next, add in oatmeal, mini chocolate chips, and mini marshmallows.

Then, add the entire jar of marshmallow fluff to the bowl.

Mix with spoon or hands until all ingredients are mixed thoroughly.

Spray hands with cooking spray.  Roll mixture into approximately 1” balls and place onto wax paper lined cookie sheet. 

Enjoy!

 

Oatmeal S’mores Bites

Ingredients:

·        1 ¼ cup Graham Cracker Crumbs (we used 6 sheets and crushed them up ourselves)

·        2 cups uncooked Oatmeal (not quick cooking)

·        ½ cup mini chocolate chips

·        ½ cup mini marshmallows (or marshmallow bits would be great too!)

·        1 jar marshmallow fluff

·        Cooking Spray

Directions:

Crush graham cracker crumbs in Ziploc then pour into a large mixing bowl.  Next, add in oatmeal, mini chocolate chips, and mini marshmallows.  Stir ingredients together.  Next, add the entire jar of marshmallow fluff to the bowl.  Mix with spoon or hands until all ingredients are mixed thoroughly.  Spray hands with cooking spray.  Roll mixture into approximately 1” balls and place onto wax paper lined cookie sheet. 

 

Makes about 26 1” balls.  Store in an airtight container at room temperature for about 1 week.  

Emma enjoying her Oatmeal S'mores Bites!

Dylan enjoying his Oatmeal S'mores Bites!

Jake enjoying his Oatmeal S'mores Bites!

Snacktivity: Cheerio Stacking

As you know by now, we love to do activities around snack time that we call snacktivities. This keeps them busy so they aren't just mindlessly eating and instead putting their minds to work!  In this case we are putting their fingers to work and working on fine motor skills.  We also worked on our math skills by counting the cheerios as we stacked them.  It helps reinforce the one to one number correspondence. Cheerio stacking is an activity we do often because it is so easy to set up and D, J & E request it often.

This activity requires minimal set up and you will probably have everything on hand.
You will need:
- Cheerios
- a paper plate or bowl (we used paper boats)
- play dough
- dry spaghetti noodles (uncooked)

That's it!  Only 4 things!  And I'm sure they are all things you have on hand already if you have a toddler. Now here’s what to do:

Step 1: Roll the play dough into a ball. I use about half a regular sized container and then put it on a plate or in a paper boat that we get at smart and final.  I like to let D, J & E choose their colors.

Step 2: Put a single piece of spaghetti into the play dough. For younger kids I would break off about a 1/3 of the top or else it is too tall. The first time we did this activity I only did one piece of pasta, but we have since expanded the activity by adding additional pieces of varying lengths.

Step 3: Pour Cheerios onto the plate.  Show your little one how to put a Cheerio onto the spaghetti noodle. The tricky part of the activity is that they have to be careful not to push too hard or the noodle will break. Be prepared and have extra noodles on hand to avoid any meltdowns in case this does happen.

Ready for fun!

So proud of their stacking abilities! 

Cheerio stacking is a lot of fun and as a bonus it has really improved their fine motor skills.  I also love seeing how excited they get as the stack of Cheerios grows. They enjoy counting as they put each Cheerio on the spaghetti noodle.  This time they were saying “Oh wow!” and “Awesome!” as their stack grew taller and taller!  I love them!

Jake focusing very intently

Dylan is having fun while stacking his Cheerios

Emma was also very serious while finishing up

Since this is a snacktivity I let them snack as they go. Dylan typically snacks a lot before he really gets into the activity, but once he gets going he can build quite the tower of Cheerios!  They love to add Cheerios to all the different spaghetti noodles and it looks like an abstract art project when it's completed. However, we finish our Cheerios throw out the noodles and put the play dough away for next time!  

Dylan was very proud of his tower!

Good work Jake!

Emma was so proud of her finished masterpiece!

Snacktivity: Fruit Loop Rainbows

 Snacktivity: Fruit Loop Rainbows

I love St. Patrick's Day!  It's so much fun to dress the kids up in green, make yummy recipes, and try new crafts.  When I was teaching I always loved doing themed activities for the holidays and now that I'm a mom I'm so excited that I get to do them at home with my little ones.  Today I decided to make Fruit Loop rainbows with them. However, this activity would be fun any time of year because rainbows are always fun!  This could even be an activity at a rainbow themed birthday party!  Anyways... D, J & E love snack time activities (snacktivities) so I knew this would be a hit!  I can't believe how well they did. They exceeded every expectation I had for them!  I am one proud mommy!
The setup is easy and can be easily adapted for older and younger children. The trio is a little over 2.5 years old and this met their needs, yet challenged them without causing frustration. It was a great activity that reinforced colors, counting, sorting, and fine motor skills. Best of all they were able to enjoy a snack all while having fun learning!

You'll need:
- a box of fruit loops
- bag of mini marshmallows
- clear cups
- paper
- colored pencils/crayons/markers
- glue (we used glitter glue but any glue will work)

What to do:
While the kids were napping (a rare occurrence these days...) I drew 3 rainbows onto paper making sure to leave enough space for the fruit loops to fit.  I added clouds at the bottom to complete the rainbow.

After naps, the trio woke up and I told them I had a fun "snacktivity" planned. We've used fruit loops to make necklaces in the past so I explained this time we would be using them for a new activity called Fruit Loop rainbows. 

Step 1:  I showed them the pictures of the rainbows I drew and we went over the colors of the rainbow and counted how many colors there are.

Step 2: I handed out 6 clear cups to each of them and then I poured them each a bowl of fruit loops, reminding them not to eat these fruit loops. I put one of each color fruit loop into each cup and told they need to match the colors. (Ex. Red goes with red, etc). They caught on instantly!  I honestly expected to be doing it all myself!  I was so surprised. (You can do this step ahead of time if your little one is too young for this or if you need to save time.) I loved hearing them talking about how they were matching the colors. Jake decided he wanted to do all his reds first.  My favorite part was when they noticed the wrong color was in the cup they would say " orange doesn't go with red!", etc.  They learn so quickly!

They were such great sorters!  

Step 3:  Snack break!  After patiently waiting to eat the fruit loops, they needed the opportunity to eat some to ensure they would be able to finish the activity!  It was a "snacktivity" after all.

Step 4: Gluing! To be honest, I wasn't sure how this was going to go. This was our first time using glue with an actual purpose. I decided the best way was for me to trace the rainbow line and have them place the fruit loops on the line. We used glitter glue which worked great. As I began to show them what to do I only put glue on half a line at a time and I gave them only the color fruit loop they were working with at that time.  Then I showed them how to put a fruit loop on. After I showed them the first one, they again figured it out right away.  Shortly after they began Emma announced she was making a choo choo train. This meant she was lining her fruit loops up so that they were touching on the rainbow glue line. The boys saw this and also thought it was such a smart idea. The rest of the rainbow went so smoothly they didn't even need my help. I continued to give them one color at a time until they finished the rainbow.  By the end I was gluing the whole line (instead of half) and they were getting faster at putting them on.  We talked about filling in the holes as we went along.

I love the concentration in their faces :)

Another fun part was when they started counting the fruit loops as they placed each one on the paper. The learning was coming from every angle during this seemingly simple activity.  

Dylan adding his final touches!

Jake finishing his rainbow!

Emma was so proud of her rainbow!

Once they finished the rainbow, they needed to add the clouds. We used mini marshmallows and more glitter glue. I put some glue in the cloud and had them put marshmallows in it. They were not as interested in gluing these on as they were squishing them.

Nonetheless this was a very successful "snacktivity" and they sat there as happy as could be for over 90 minutes!  Happy 2 year olds make for a happy mommy!  A happy mommy with cute St. Patrick's Day crafts to hang up now!

The finished product!  Too cute!