The Empowered Educator

Inspiring ideas, training and resources for early learning.

Thrifty Thursday Fun….Toddler Threading!

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I've been a bit of a rebel today….i decided not to do a load of washing! Yep, you read right! For someone who does at least a load of clothes and then a load of nappies each day….this was huge for me!

 Washing has become a habit each morning like making breakfast….yes i know i sound a little out of my mind here….but oh the freedom….the joy of being a rebel and saying no to washing even though it is a ‘good washing day' as my Gran used to say…sunny with a breeze! I keep looking out to the line and catching myself as i realise i don't need to hang out washing or bring it in…or the biggie…fold it! I never knew ignoring a chore could be so liberating and i know there is at least one parent out there reading this that understands these ramblings!You get it, i know you do…want to walk on the wild side with me?

Of course…i will pay for it tomorrow when i have twice the washing to do…..but that's tomorrow isn't it?

OK, i have collected myself now….been a little tired of the housework lately in case you didn't guess! For this Thrifty Thursday i wanted to share a quick and easy toddler threading activity with you!

The toddler twosome are always interested in fine motor type activities but they are at a tough age….they know what they want to do but their eye hand coordination often isn't quite there yet so although it's great to provide challenges for young toddlers it is also good to provide some ‘steps' for them to climb and conquer along the way first to build up their confidence.

Ruby isn't at the same stage as Tara with fine motor activities yet but she had just as much fun with this activity in her own way and that is the beauty of open ended experiences!

I started out with some paper towel rolls cut into segments and some ribbon. Tying one of the rolls on the end to provide a stopper i gave it to Tara after showing her how to thread the ribbon through. I saw this idea on Pinterest quite a while back and wanted to try it (If you have this pin please let me know as i would like to link back but can't find it!).
Tara gave it a try but i soon realised she was getting frustrated with it as she is not quite up to pulling the ribbon through although she enjoys the actual threading through the opening…
 It did keep her busy for awhile but i knew i had to modify the activity if she was going to continue and have fun….activities often don't work out with this age group…it's all part of the learning and fun though..i don't let it bother me!
So i grabbed some lumps of playdough…moulded them onto the table and pressed a pipecleaner into the middle…..i then threaded a few rings onto it like this….
Tara immediately thought this was great and began building her tower….
There was some problem solving too as she worked out how many she could fit on before the pipecleaner bent over….and then she held it with one hand while she kept threading with the other!
She really had fun with this activity and the only prep was cutting up some paper towel rolls i had been saving and pulling the pipecleaners out (which you can find so cheap in the discount shops now). I just used my Microwave Playdough  as the moulds but you could also use a colander upside down to poke the pipecleaner into.
Such satisfaction on her face…there's the stepping stones i was talking about earlier….the little achievements with an easier activity allow a toddler to grow and move onto harder challenges with confidence!
Such a simple, thrifty activity but it kept her busy for well over half an hour and all that time she was practising her fine motor, spatial awareness and hand/eye coordination skills…yet having fun!
Ruby isn't quite at the threading stage yet but she really enjoyed poking the pipecleaners through the rings and filling and emptying her basket….these activities were Ruby's stepping stones…i love when an activity can be modified to suit different developmental stages and yet use the same materials!
Very busy selecting just the right ring here…..
We also did a little floor colouring this week with our pens and some paper we picked up from the newspaper office cheaply. Most newspapers will sell their end rolls very cheaply…it's worth investigating if you use lots of paper with your children!
We used this masterpiece as wrapping paper for Gran's Mother's day present. I love to use the children's artworks as wrapping paper and i think they are well received by family members too!
 Drawing at ground level allows toddlers to use their whole bodies if they want to and draw at different angles…the Toddler Twosome both really enjoyed lying on their tummies to draw at one stage. By bringing craft down to their level sometimes it  offers a different opportunity for fun, creativity and expression! We use washable markers so no need to fear if it goes onto the floorboards…they can always be washed!
Do you like to use your children's art as wrapping paper?

I think i am going to wander by the clothesline one more time and just savour the freedom….hope you are having a great day too!

Warm Wishes…

Comments

  1. Gina says

    Perfect! I have a bunch of toilet paper rolls lying around! My son loves to try and put things together or stack them. I’ll have to get a pipe cleaner out and some playdough too! 🙂

    Reply

    • Jode says

      Should be just right for his age Gina…and if all else fails the toilet rolls are fun on their own anyway!!Thanks for stopping by x

      Reply

  2. The Monko says

    I love the toilet roll threading, can’t believe this has never occurred to me, its so obvious now i see it in your post. Brilliant – had to pin it. I shied away from washable nappies an only have one! You have two, what possessed you – are you a secret washaholic!

    Reply

    • Jode says

      Thanks for pinning and dropping by!The artwork as paper is a great one for when you have run out or don’t want to spend money!!

      Reply

  5. Tania says

    This is a really great idea – definitely one to try. Violet loves putting things together and moving things from container to container.

    Reply

  6. Tammi says

    I have never thought to use toilet rolls in this way, we recently used two to make a pair of binoculars that Kaizer loves looking through. Our activity of choice recently has been threading twine through pasta. When I have more time I am going to look through your recent post links for more inspiring ideas 🙂
    x

    Reply

  8. Catherine says

    You are always a great source of toddler friendly activities to keep those little fingers amused. This is a great activity for all different abilities and it looks like lots of fun was happening. x

    Reply

  9. Amy says

    Great idea thankyou for sharing I have just found you on a linky and love the idea . I too upcycle a lot of paintings into wrapping paper people love to recieve this! Did not think about those end of rolls though from newspapers. I usually use lining wallpaper but will be trying this now thanks for the tip,

    Reply

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