Material: Stapler

The Musical Ribbon Shaker

The Musical Ribbon Shaker

Steps:

  • Give your toddler two paper plates to decorate with markers.
  • Place one plate face up on the table.
  • Help your child pick up a handful of beans.
  • Ask them to use their thumb and pointer finger to drop the beans one by one.
  • Place the second plate upside down on top of the first.
  • An adult should staple the edges together firmly.
  • Glue several colorful ribbon strips to the sides of the shaker.
  • Show your toddler how to hold the shaker with both hands.
  • Shake the plates to the beat of your favorite song!

Safety Tip:
CHOKING HAZARD: Beans and staples are small. Always supervise your child and ensure the plates are sealed tightly.

“The Claw”

Preparation:

  1. Take an empty cardboard box (with openings that create handles), and insert a gift wrapping paper tube through the openings.
  2. Tape a long piece of yarn to the gift wrapping paper tube.
  3. Draw a Toy Story Alien & cut it out.
  4. Tape the alien to the other end of the yarn.

Play:

Have the child place both hands toward the ends of gift wrapping paper tube (“The Claw”), to reel in the alien.

Instruct the child to use alternating hands, or both hands at the same time.

To add a challenge, have the child use their non-dominant hand, create a longer line of yarn, or add resistance.

To add resistance, draw and cut out an alien on 2 pieces of paper, place beans on one paper, then staple the other paper on top to seal the beans inside.

Paper Chain

Setup: On several different colors of construction paper, use a thick marker to draw straight lines spaced about 1 to 1.5 inches apart across the width of the paper.

Steps:

  1. Practice Scissor Grasp: Hand your child child-safe scissors. Encourage them to hold the scissors with their “thumb up” toward the ceiling.

  2. Cut the Strips: Ask your child to cut along the thick marker lines you drew. Remind them to hold the paper steady with their “helper hand” while their cutting hand moves the scissors.

  3. Make the First Loop: Take one cut strip. Show your child how to place a small dot or swipe of glue on one end of the strip. Curl the strip around to meet the glued end, pressing firmly to create your first circle.

  4. Connect the Chain: Take a new strip of a different color. Thread this new strip through the center of your first completed circle loop.

  5. Glue and Repeat: Once the new strip is threaded through, glue its ends together to lock it into the chain. Continue this process—thread, then glue—until all the strips are used!

Busy Bee

Use an A4 (standard size) yellow construction paper and ask the child to fold the paper in the middle lengthwise.

Using child scissors, ask the child to cut the folded construction paper along the fold middle line creating 2 long yellow rectangles.

Demonstrate to the child using one yellow rectangle how to roll it into a cylinder shape. Staple the edges.

Ask the child to do the same using the other yellow rectangle he cut.

If needed, assist the child using the stapler to staple the edges.

Staple both yellow cylinders together.

Use black construction paper and ask the child to cut five 1/2 inch by 4-inch stripes. Glue three stripes to the bee’s body and use the other two stripes for the antennas.

Using white tissue paper or a paper towel, make a bow shape out of 3 inches by 6-inch rectangle. Glue or staple the blow to form the wings.

Use the markers or pom poms for the bee’s eyes and mouth.