We’ve been taking it easy the past few days… between colds, changes to routines with Daddy starting shift work and the visit to child and family health I think we are all a little worn out!
It’s raining yet again so I have been trying out a few new activities to keep us busy while indoors!
Tara really enjoyed sitting down with some empty jars, pom poms, pasta and filling and emptying. There was such method and concentration to her play it was lovely to sit back and watch!
Easy setup with a few pom poms and bits of pasta in each jar, some smaller containers and patty papers.
First the fun of taking things out.
Then putting back in!
Then pouring into other jars.
Then really beginning to organise the jars and their contents.
Then emptying and starting all over again… she stayed with this activity for about 20 minutes which is a long time for my very on-the-go twin!! Really turned out to be a great toddler activity!
We also had fun with some of the coloured pasta we dyed recently. The girls are beginning to show an interest in threading so I got out a few balls of playdough, pressed some spaghetti into them and put a basket of pasta in front of them.
I placed one onto the spaghetti and then the girls took it from there. I broke the spaghetti in half to make it a little easier!
It was also lots of fun to take the pasta back off and push the spaghetti sticks into the dough!
Tara soon came up with the idea of pressing pasta into the playdough for added fun.
Ruby enjoyed playing with the spaghetti sticks on their own for quite awhile… fabulous for fine motor skills!
We extended the activity to different sorts of sticks we could press into the dough… this was even more fun!
Very simple, basic activities with little clean up afterwards, just what we all needed!
A Little About Me
Jodie Clarke is an early childhood professional supporting educators who want and need to stay passionate about the work they do! She has 30 years hands-on experience in the early childhood and human services sectors across many different roles.
Jodie is mum to 3 in Australia and has already helped thousands of educators with their work through her popular blog posts, activity ideas, online training and e-books.
wow..that looks like fun for any toddler!!
We reverted to home made play dough many times!
What a perfect activity for a toddler or even an older baby! I like the idea of using dried spaghetti with play dough bc children will learn how to apply a softer pressure so they don’t break the noodle. That’s a great way to build fine motor skills.
I like all of the different materials you used. I’ve used some of these materials, but never all together and it seems like it really provided a variety of ways to play.
So many great fine motor activities!
Thanks Allison…they really enjoyed them and it was so easy to set up!
I think my youger child would love this activity. Thanks for sharing. I would love if you shared this on my fun frugal friday linky party. http://www.funfrugalmommy.blogspot.com
Thanks frugal mommy….i shall be sure to drop by…it definitely was a frugal activity!
What a fun idea! I love ideas with things that I already have around my house =-) Thanks for linking up to TGIF & see you Friday,
Beth =-)
You always come up with great ideas Jode, your blog is a great resource for Mums with little ones to help give them ideas on keeping their little ones busy at home. I love the jar with pom poms, looks like it was a winner for the girls. x
Thanks for stopping by my blog! I love this play dough post and will be pinning it to my play dough bling board!
Thanks for dropping by and also pinning Bethany!