Practice Children's Fine Motor Skills Using a Coffee Can

I can't remember the last time I walked across my living room floor without almost falling over the gobs of toys everywhere! Claire has more toys than I even care to admit and yet, somehow, she still seems to have days where she is simply bored with the monotony of it all. Time for mommy to get really creative...

My mom recently brought me some large, empty coffee cans, so I decided to start there.  Here's what I did...

Materials:

-large, coffee can

-scissors

-pom poms of various sizes

-single, hole punch

-pipe cleaners

Directions:

1. Cut out an "X" shape in the middle of the coffee can lid using scissors.

2. Ensure the hole is large enough for the largest of pom poms to fit inside

3. Using a hole punch, create holes along the perimeter of the coffee can lid.

4. Cut assorted colors of pipe cleaners in half. Practice placing pipe cleaners in the holes of the can.

And there you have it...a simple and inexpensive way to practice fine motor skills with toddlers! Believe it or not, this simple activity provided Claire with hours of entertainment, and she continues to ask for it on a daily basis. If I had known she could be this occupied by such basic and inexpensive items, I could have saved a lot of people money in the cost of the latest and greatest toys alone! Ahhh, hindsight!