Clothespins - Page 5 of 8

Felt Pocket Clip Drop

Steps:

Adult Prep: Use scissors to cut a piece of felt that covers the container opening. Cut 6 to 8 very tight, narrow vertical slits into the felt.
Secure the felt tightly over the container opening using masking tape around the rim. The felt should be firm.
Place the pom-poms in a bowl. Practice squeezing a clothespin open using a strong two-finger pinch.
Challenge your child to pick up one pom-pom by securing it gently inside the open clothespin.
Hold the container firmly steady with their non-dominant hand. This stabilizes the base.
Aim the clothespin and pom-pom at a narrow felt slit. Use a strong, controlled push to insert the pom-pom completely into the pocket.

Safety Tip:
Constant and direct adult supervision is required. Pom-poms are small objects and pose a significant choking hazard for children under five. Ensure materials are used only as intended.

Coil Drop Target

Steps:

Adult Prep: Tightly coil 5 to 6 pipe cleaners into small, narrow spirals or loops to create the targets.
Clip one pipe cleaner spiral onto the open end of a clothespin. Repeat this for all the coils.
Fill a separate container halfway with water and add a few drops of food coloring to create ‘magic potion.’
Ask your child to clip the clothespin targets onto the rim of the paper cup, making sure the coils hang inside.
Challenge your child to hold the eyedropper with a neat pincer grasp, suck up the colored water, and carry it to the paper cup.
Carefully aim the eyedropper and squeeze gently to deposit the colored drops into the narrow opening of the pipe cleaner coil. Repeat until the coils are full.

Safety Tip:
Constant and direct adult supervision is required. Pipe cleaners are small materials and pose a potential choking hazard for young children. Ensure the colored water is not ingested.

Clothespin Weight Tower

Steps:

Place the foam sheet flat on a stable table. Put the pom-poms and clothespins into the container nearby.
Show your child how to use one hand to firmly hold the foam sheet steady on the table. This is the helper hand.
Use the working hand to squeeze open one clothespin. Carefully clip one pom-pom securely inside the open pin.
Clip the weighted clothespin firmly onto the edge of the foam sheet. Encourage placing the clips close together.
Once all pom-poms are clipped on, challenge your child to carefully lift the foam sheet using their fingertips. Can they carry the sheet without dropping the weighted clips?

Safety Tip:
Clothespins and pom-poms are small items. Constant, direct adult supervision is required throughout this activity to prevent choking hazards.

Stick Bridge Clip

Steps:

Prep the “bridge” by using masking tape to secure 5 to 7 craft sticks in a row onto the underside of a sturdy, stable table (or a sturdy chair seat).
Place the pile of clothespins within easy reach on the floor beneath the table.
Challenge your child to lie on their back on the floor, directly under the table, facing the craft sticks. This is the starting position.
Encourage your child to reach up and squeeze open one clothespin at a time. They must aim carefully to clip the pin onto the ‘bridge’ (the craft stick).
Continue until every stick is covered in colorful clothespins. To repeat, they can clip them all off and start again!

Safety Tip:
Maintain constant adult supervision. Clothespins are small objects and pose a potential choking hazard for children who might still place items in their mouths. Ensure the table used is stable and cannot tip over during the activity.

Line Up Clips

Steps:

Use markers to color several craft sticks different bright colors.
Secure a long piece of string tautly between two chairs or tape it firmly to a wall at your child’s chest height. This is your clothesline.
Challenge your child to use a strong pincer grip to clip one clothespin onto the center of each colorful craft stick.
Have your child hold the string steady with their helper hand to provide a stable base.
Using their dominant hand, encourage them to clip the stick-and-clip unit onto the clothesline, lining up the colorful sticks in a specific order.

Safety Tip:
Clothespins can be small and pose a choking hazard for children under five. Always supervise this activity closely and ensure all pieces are collected after playtime.