Beads - Page 2 of 13

The Index Card Tweezer Tunnel

Steps:

Fold three index cards into arches to make small tunnels.
Tape the arches in a straight line onto a flat table.
Place a colorful bead at the start of the tunnel row.
Ask your child to hold the table surface with their helper hand.
Use the tweezers to push the bead all the way through the line.
Finally, use the tweezers to pick up the bead and drop it into a cup.

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child during play. Small beads are a choking hazard. Keep all materials away from the mouth.

The Spiky Paper Roll Tower

Steps:

Use your markers to draw several colorful dots on an empty paper roll.
Help your child use the hole puncher to click a hole through every dot.
Use masking tape to stick the bottom of the paper roll to a flat cardboard base.
Ask your child to hold the base steady with their helper hand.
Use the other hand to slide a straw through one hole and out a hole on the other side.
Continue until the paper roll looks like a spiky tower full of straws.
Use a pincer grasp to carefully place one bead on the end of every straw!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child during play. Small beads and cut straw pieces are choking hazards. Keep all materials away from the mouth.

The Pipe Cleaner Bottle Hook

Steps:

Place an empty plastic bottle on a stable table.
Have your child use their pinching fingers to drop ten colorful beads into the bottle.
Give them a pipe cleaner and help them bend the tip into a small hook.
Ask your child to hold the bottle steady with their non-dominant helper hand.
Challenge them to lower the hook into the bottle and catch a bead.
Carefully pull the hooked bead all the way out through the narrow opening!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child during play. Small beads are a choking hazard and should be kept away from mouths.

The Galaxy Bead Spinner

Steps:

Fill a plastic bottle halfway with water.
Drop ten colorful beads into the water.
Use a marker to draw a target circle on the outside of the bottle.
Wrap masking tape around the cap and the neck to seal it shut.
Ask your child to hold the bottle in the middle with a firm grasp.
Challenge them to twist their wrist back and forth quickly.
The goal is to make the beads spin and touch the target circle.
Repeat until they are an expert at making tornadoes!

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child during water play. Ensure the bottle cap is sealed tightly to keep the beads safe.

The Foil Cupcake Scoop

Steps:

Tear off several small squares of aluminium foil using both hands.
Show your child how to crumple each foil square into a round ball to make ‘ice cream scoops.’
Place a baking cup on the table and have your child use their helper hand to hold it steady.
Use the spoon to scoop a foil ball and carefully place it inside the baking cup.
Once the ‘cupcake’ is in the cup, pick up a small bead using a pincer grasp (thumb and index finger).
Gently set the bead on top of the foil ball to act as a sprinkle.
Continue adding more ‘sprinkles’ until the cupcake is fully decorated!
Challenge your child to dump the cup and start again with a different colored bead.

Safety Tip:
Always supervise your child closely during play. Small beads and crumpled foil can be a choking hazard, so ensure they do not put any materials in their mouth.