Material: Basket

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.

The Over-Head Balloon Drop

The Over-Head Balloon Drop

Steps:

  • Place a soft pillow on the floor for your child to lie on.
  • Set a large basket about a foot behind your child’s head.
  • Ask your child to lie on their back and squeeze a balloon between their ankles while holding the pillow sides.
  • Encourage them to lift their legs up and over their head.
  • The goal is to drop the balloon into the basket without using their hands!
  • Try it again and see how many times they can score in a row.

Safety Tip:
Ensure the area behind the child’s head is clear of hard furniture or sharp edges.

The Cardboard Tube Ball Lift

The Cardboard Tube Ball Lift

Steps:

  • Place a tennis ball on a flat floor or rug.
  • Give your child two long cardboard paper towel rolls.
  • Ask your child to hold one roll in each hand.
  • Challenge them to squeeze the ball between the ends of the paper rolls.
  • Once they have a firm grip, lift the ball off the ground.
  • Ask them to walk slowly toward a basket a few feet away.
  • Carefully release the ball into the basket without using their hands.
  • Repeat the challenge with balls of different sizes!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child during this activity to prevent them from tripping. Ensure the floor is clear of other toys.

Newspaper Nest Foot Deliver

Newspaper Nest Foot Deliver

Steps:

  • Crumple several sheets of newspaper into large, loose balls with your child.
  • Place a basket on a rug at one end of the room.
  • Put the newspaper balls in a pile a few feet away from the basket.
  • Have your child sit on a pillow on the floor, facing the basket.
  • Encourage them to lean back and brace themselves with their hands behind them.
  • Challenge them to pick up one newspaper ball using only their feet.
  • They must lift their legs carefully and drop the ball into the basket.
  • See how many nests they can deliver without using their hands!

Safety Tip:
Ensure the floor is not slippery and the area is clear of sharp furniture corners.