Material: Basket

The Felt Fish Hook Rescue

The Felt Fish Hook Rescue

Steps:

  • Use your markers to draw 5 small fish shapes on your felt.
  • Carefully cut out the felt fish using your scissors.
  • Cut 5 tiny strips of cardboard, about 1 inch long each.
  • Glue the ends of a cardboard strip to a fish to make a small loop.
  • Repeat this for all 5 fish and place them inside your basket.
  • Take a pipe cleaner and twist one end into a small, sturdy hook.
  • Wrap the other end of the pipe cleaner around your child’s index finger.
  • Challenge your child to hold the basket steady with one hand.
  • Use the finger hook to snag a fish loop and lift it out!

Safety Tip:
Pipe cleaners have wire ends. Ensure the ends are curled inward or covered with tape to prevent scratches.

The Giant Newspaper Chopstick Challenge

The Giant Newspaper Chopstick Challenge

Steps:

  • Lay a large sheet of newspaper flat on the floor.
  • Roll the paper corner to corner as tightly as possible.
  • Use masking tape to secure the ends of the paper log.
  • Make a second log so you have a pair of giant chopsticks.
  • Place a stuffed animal on the floor and a basket nearby.
  • Hold one log in each hand and squeeze the toy between them.
  • Carry the toy carefully and drop it into the basket!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child to ensure they use the paper logs safely and do not hit others.

The Button Cookie Spatula Flip

The Button Cookie Spatula Flip

Steps:

  • Help your child cut five medium circles from a piece of cardboard to make the cookies.
  • Glue three colorful buttons onto each cookie to look like chocolate chips.
  • Cut a long, thin rectangle from the cardboard to act as the spatula handle.
  • Tape a smaller square of cardboard to the end of the handle to finish the spatula.
  • Place the cookies button-side down on a flat table.
  • Challenge your child to slide the spatula under a cookie and flip it over into a nearby basket.
  • Ask them to use their other hand to hold the basket steady while they flip!

Safety Tip:
Buttons are a choking hazard. Always supervise your child and ensure all materials are stored safely after play.

The Gravity Bead Labyrinth

The Gravity Bead Labyrinth

Steps:

  • Find a plastic basket with small holes along the sides.
  • Give your child several colorful pipe cleaners.
  • Show them how to thread one pipe cleaner through a hole on one side.
  • Pull it across the middle and out through a hole on the opposite side.
  • Continue adding pipe cleaners at different angles to create a crisscross mesh floor.
  • Drop three large beads onto the fuzzy mesh you just created.
  • Ask your child to hold the basket handles with both hands.
  • Challenge them to tilt the basket gently to roll the beads across the mesh.
  • Try to keep the beads on the floor without them falling through the gaps!

Safety Tip:
Ensure the pipe cleaner ends are tucked in to avoid any small pokes.

Balloon Tap and Cup Sort

Balloon Tap and Cup Sort

Steps:

  • Blow up a balloon and tie it tightly.
  • Place a basket on the carpet filled with five paper cups.
  • Set a second empty basket a short distance away.
  • Ask your child to tap the balloon into the air with their right hand.
  • While it is in the air, they must use their left hand to move one cup.
  • See how many cups they can move before the balloon hits the floor!

Safety Tip:
Adult supervision is required because balloons and their broken pieces are a serious choking hazard for young children.