Paper Tube Stringing

Continuing the week with more upcycled ideas! You all know how much I love 5 min DIYs 😉 All this one needs is a couple paper towel or toilet paper rolls, pipe cleaners, and markers. Simply cut up the cardboard tube, slap some colorful letters or numbers on each piece, and voila! You have a

Color Wheel Lacing

Lacing activities are popular for little tots, and for good reason! They work on so many skills! And they’re simple. Which, if you’ve been following along, is a big key when it comes to learning independent play skills. So let’s break this one down: Items needed: A paper plate Scissors Pipe cleaners for younger littles,

Pom Pom Drop

Calling all Starbucks lovers! This 5 minute fine motor DIY is for you! All you need is a clear cup (I reused my iced coffee starbucks cup), a pair of scissors to cut a small hole, and lots and lots of small pom poms. There is a large age range for this! Caroline (17 months)

Paper towel roll stackers

I love reusing paper towel rolls for activities! They are so simple to transform into something educational. And when Caroline is bored with it, they are easily tossed! This simple craft targets all sorts of goodies: letter recognition, number recognition, color recognition, and sequencing, all while working on fine motor skills to pick up and

“You are my sunshine” Fine Motor DIY

I don’t know about you, but it’s in the upper 90’s in Missouri, it is hot hot HOT! So we are spending more time indoors lately. And this little fine motor sunshine is the perfect way to celebrate the hot sunny days of summer! How to make your sun: Cut out a circle Snip small

Running Water Play Sink

Awesome toy find alert! This little play sink I found at Biglots for $20 actually has a running water pump to keep your kiddo engaged for a good long while! Water play is a huge hit right now with Caroline, but it’s getting too hot outside to be out there very long. I set this

Bottle Cap Twist

Here’s a 15 min fine motor DIY that targets fine motor coordination and object manipulation! At around 29-36 months, your little will learn how to unscrew and screw on a bottle cap. This skill may emerge much earlier, however mastery may not come until later. Items needed: Cardboard box such as a shoe box or

Handwriting Development and Tips

A less functional pencil grasp can make handwriting slow, messy, and it also can lead to pain as writing demands increase throughout the school years. Handwriting issues may include: poor letter formation, poor sizing of letters, difficulty in copying words, the spacing of words, poor pencil pressure, inconsistency in upper and lower case writing. All

Water Wow – Melissa & Doug

This product from Melissa & Doug will forever change your life! No mess… and reusable?! Take. My. Money. This is PERFECT for new learners who don’t always know what is and isn’t appropriate to color on. The large diameter of the water pen makes it easy for young tots to hold to start developing a

Popsicle Drop

Here’s another 5 minute DIY that targets fine motor skills! Appropriate for 12+ months (Caroline is 16 months pictured). Here, all you’ll need is an empty container with a lid (I reused a Puffs container), scissors, and popsicle sticks ( I recommend using colorful sticks to work on skills like color recognition and language development)!