When providing activities for under-threes, parents and carers must remember that interacting, manipulating, experimenting, exploring, creating and communicating through the activity is more important than expecting the children to achieve an end goal - for example, managing to get all the hooks on the mug rack in 'On it goes!' (see below).
Peg the pegs
* Place approximately 30 wooden clothes pegs into a basket similar to the one in the photograph.
* Demonstrate to the children the way in which a clothes peg works - by pinching one end we open the other end.
* Allow the children some time to practise this movement before suggesting to them that they could peg the pegs around the edge of the basket.
* To make this game easier, simply invite the children to place the pegs around the edge of the basket using the other end of the peg.This way they will not have to apply any pressure.
* Taking them off can be fun too.
* Plastic coloured pegs could be used as an alternative and perhaps some children will use them to create patterns.
On it goes!
* Find an old mug rack.
* Place a selection of unvarnished curtains rings, of various sizes, in a small basket.
* First, demonstrate to the children how to hang the rings on the hooks.
* Allow the children to play with the rack and the rings freely.
* Encourage the children to shake the rings off and start again.
* Similarly, place small, multi-coloured hair bands that have never been used, in a small basket.
* Allow the children to play with these freely before presenting them with a metal kitchen roll holder, then encourage them, again by demonstration, to stretch them over the metal kitchen roll holder.
* Alternatively, the children could roll the hair bands on to a wooden kitchen roll holder or the mug rack.
What's in the tube?
* Remove the tops and the bottoms of Smarties' tubes.
* Decorate the Smarties' tubes with attractive wrapping paper.
* Gather wine bottle corks that comfortably fit in the tubes and place them in a small basket or box.
* Encourage the children to push the wine corks into the decorated tubes until they start coming out the other end.
* As easier alternative for younger children is to decorate crisp tubes and push tennis balls through the decorated tubes, or decorate wrapping paper tubes and push ping-pong balls through them.
Which one fits?
* Cover stacking crisps containers with attractive wrapping paper.
* Cut different shaped holes in the lids of the containers using scissors, making sure that there are no sharp edges left.
* Gather different objects that can be 'posted' through the slits. The photograph shows the use of clothes pegs and name tags for garden plants. Other items that could be used include wine bottle corks, pencils, curtain rings, keys, Lego pieces and so on.
* Present the children with one container and the items that fit directly into it. To make it more challenging, provide the children with two or three containers and two or three different types of objects, so they have to work out which container each item fits into.
* Encourage the children to open the lid to retrieve the objects; replace the lid and start 'posting' again.
Oil painting
* Pour a layer of baby oil into a shallow tray and allow the children to explore the texture of it.
* Encourage the children to drip droplets of food colouring or water-based paints on to the layer of baby oil. A turkey baster, dropper or straw can be dipped into the colour and then on to the oil.
* Invite the children to take a print of the pattern they have created by gently placing a piece of paper over the oil and carefully lifting it off again using their pincer grip.
* Let the children adapt their design by 'drawing' patterns on to the layer of oil using their index finger.
Hook 'em up!
* Secure a row of cup hooks, or individual cup hooks on the wall where the children can reach them comfortably in a sitting position.
* Gather a range of coloured bracelets and place them in a container.
* Show the children how to place a bracelet on a hook and then allow them to play freely with the equipment.
* To further develop the children's fine motor skills, attach a loop of wool to small photos or pictures stuck to card and encourage the children to hang them on to the hooks.
